By Mike Chaffin
Laziness brings on deep sleep, and the shiftless go hungry. Proverbs 19:15
The sixth deadly sin is Sloth. Reverend Joe Holland, writing for Ligonier Ministries, defines why this sin is so deadly. He wrote, “Biblically speaking, sloth is laziness that comes from carelessness about the commands and priorities of God, a lack of love for God and His ways that undermines a biblical doctrine of vocation.”
Procrastination is just one aspect of slothfulness. If we procrastinate, we put off until later what we know we must do. This act is deliberate and premeditated. If procrastination interferes with our relationship with the Lord, either through service to Him, or discipleship with Him, we commit the sin of sloth.
Sloth goes beyond the putting off until later problem many of us have. In its physical representation sloth is laziness to the point of being disobedient. Two great examples of this are taught in the Bible. The first in Proverbs,
6 Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise,
7 Which, having no captain, overseer or ruler,
8 Provides her supplies in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest.
9 How long will you slumber, O sluggard? When will you rise from your sleep?
10 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep—
11 So shall your poverty come on you like a prowler, and your need like an armed man. Proverbs 6:6-11
God put mankind in the Garden of Eden, not to vacation, but to work the garden. Until man fell, this work was easy and the burden light. However, after the fall, God told Adam his work would be difficult.
Jesus taught us about sloth in the parable of the talents.
But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? Matthew 25:26
A rich man gave money to invest to three of his servants. Two do, but the third one hides it because he is afraid to lose it. However, the master saw through this, condemning the man as wicked and slothful. Or in today’s vernacular, lazy to the core.
Jesus’ example used money, but this lesson can also be applied to spiritual gifts as well. If we are gifted by God to glorify Him, and don’t use that gift to grow in grace we are guilty of sloth because we didn’t invest into the kingdom.
Lastly, sloth allows our walk with the Lord, our relationship with our brothers and sisters in Christ, and our passion to grow the kingdom to deteriorate. A deadly sin indeed.
Prayer: Dear Lord, help me to stay focused on you and the mission you have given me through the gifting of the Holy Spirit. Fill me with a renewed passion and vigor so the sin of sloth doesn’t stick. In Jesus’ name, amen.
