The Danger of Idleness

Bible Reading: Proverbs 6:6-11

To be idle is to be lazy— a lack of sense of restraint or responsibility. An idle person is not productive not because there is no work but because such a person refuses to work. The Bible condemns idleness. For instance, “if a man will not work, he shall not eat” (2 Thessalonians 3:10), the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it (Genesis 2:15) etc. Work is good and important. Our world will not be at the level of technological advancement and development as it is today if people were lazy. From one generation to another there is a concerted effort to advance, build, develop and improve upon innovations and creation. In the Bible, a lazy person has been characterized as many things such as a destroyer, ‘whoever is slack in his work is a brother to him who destroys (Proverbs 18:9); as poor (someone in poverty), ‘a slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich’ (Proverbs 10:4); and as a slave, ‘the hand of the diligent will rule, while the slothful will be put to forced labour’ (Proverbs 12:24).

In our Bible reading today, we are shown an amazing wisdom from God’s creation, the ants. Ants are industrious, strategic and organized. They understand the principle of times and seasons so they always work and rest at the right time. They coordinate themselves to maximize their time and effort. God is using the ants to teach us a lesson: it is not about your size or how fast you are, rather it is about productivity, problem solving and time consciousness. Dear friends, it is God’s will for us to be productive, fruitful and eat the fruit of our hands (Psalm 128:2), I encourage you to work hard because even our heaven Father worked for six days and rested on the seventh day. And the evidence of your faith is your work (James 2:14-26). For those trusting God for employment, we pray for you today that there will be open doors of the right opportunities of jobs in Jesus name. Finally, whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom (Ecclesiastes 9:10).

Daily Confession: I am not idle. I am productive, fruitful and represent God’s kingdom.

Intercessory prayer: Intercede for those seek employment opportunities for God’s intervention. Also pray for those who are self-employed for their business to receive God’s blessing.

Hymn: To the work! To the work! We are servants of God,

Let us follow the path that our Master has trod;

With the balm of His counsel our strength to renew,

Let us do with our might what our hands find to do.