What other scriptures warn against laziness and encourage diligence? \A Foolish Excuse (Proverbs 22:13)\ “The slacker says, ‘There is a lion outside! I will be slain in the streets!’ ” Solomon exposes how laziness invents danger to justify staying in bed. Scripture refuses to treat such excuses as harmless; it labels them folly and shows their ruin. \Proverbs: A Running Commentary on Sloth\ The same book piles up vivid snapshots so the lesson cannot be missed: • Proverbs 6:6-11 – “Walk in the manner of the ant, O slacker… poverty will come upon you like a robber.” • Proverbs 10:4-5 – “Idle hands make one poor, but diligent hands bring wealth.” • Proverbs 12:24 – “The hand of the diligent will rule, but laziness ends in forced labor.” • Proverbs 13:4 – “The slacker craves yet has nothing, but the soul of the diligent is fully satisfied.” • Proverbs 18:9 – “He who is slothful in his work is brother to him who destroys.” • Proverbs 19:24 – “The slacker buries his hand in the dish; he will not even bring it back to his mouth.” • Proverbs 20:4 – “The slacker does not plow in season; at harvest time he looks, but there is nothing.” • Proverbs 24:30-34 – The overgrown field of the sluggard preaches a silent sermon: “A little sleep… and poverty will come upon you like a bandit.” \Consequences Painted in Wisdom Literature\ • Ecclesiastes 10:18 – “Through laziness the roof sinks in, and in the hands of the idle, the house leaks.” Lack of diligence lets the very structures meant to protect us collapse. \New Testament Warnings Echo the Theme\ • Matthew 25:26-30 – The master calls the talent-hider “wicked, lazy servant” and casts him “into the outer darkness.” • Romans 12:11 – “Do not let your zeal subside; keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.” • 1 Corinthians 15:58 – “Always excel in the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” • Colossians 3:23-24 – “Whatever you do, work at it with your whole being… It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” • 2 Thessalonians 3:6-12 – Paul commands believers to avoid idle brothers and reminds them, “If anyone will not work, he shall not eat.” • Hebrews 6:11-12 – “Then you will not be sluggish, but will imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.” • James 2:17 – “Faith by itself, if it does not result in action, is dead.” \Positive Portraits of Diligence\ • Genesis 2:15 – Work predates the Fall; God placed Adam “to cultivate and keep” the garden. • Nehemiah 4:6 – “So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people had a heart to work.” • Proverbs 31:13-27 – The excellent wife “rises while it is still night… her lamp does not go out at night.” • Acts 18:3 – Paul supports ministry by tent-making, modeling industrious self-support. • Philippians 2:22 – Timothy “has proved himself,” serving Paul “as a child with his father in the work of the gospel.” \The Ultimate Standard: Christ Himself\ Jesus said, “My Father is always at His work… and I too am working” (John 5:17). His earthly life—teaching, healing, laying down His life—shows tireless obedience. For those united to Him, laziness is simply out of step with the Master. \Living the Lesson\ • Reject excuses—no “lion in the streets” thinking. • Plan for steady, faithful labor in ordinary callings. • See work as worship, performed “for the Lord and not for men.” • Pursue diligence not to earn favor, but to display the grace already given. Scripture is clear: laziness robs, corrodes, and eventually condemns, while diligence honors God, blesses others, and prepares us for eternal reward. |
    |