"But you, lazybones, how long will you sleep? When will you wake up? A little extra sleep, a little more slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest—then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit; scarcity will attack you like an armed robber."--Proverbs 6:9-11(NLT)
I remember as a child and young teenager growing up, I looked forward to summer vacation. I'm sure most would agree that the end of a long, daunting school year meant welcoming the ease of summer living. We relished in anticipation of the lazy days of summer; swinging in a hammock slurping melting popsicles and doing positively nothing... Wait! Maybe that happened somewhere in the world, but not in my household!!! My parents would have my sisters and I up early in the morning as if it were a school day. We would be assigned various chores inside and outside in the blistering heat. I am exaggerating? Perhaps a little. Now in retrospect and looking back at the immaturity that accompanies childhood, I see they were instilling a life principle and personal discipline--there is no gain in laziness or reward in procrastination.
God has a lot to say about laziness and procrastination; and none of it is good. Laziness and procrastination are mindsets. They are habits, tendencies, and learned behavior. Proverbs 26 speaks of the slothful man whose excuse for not leaving his home was that there may be a lion outside! Pretty lame excuse, right? But that is what laziness produces--absurd excuses to justify inactivity of purposeful delay. The same Proverb also speaks of a slothful person even being too lazy eat. It may sound unbelievable, but it's true. Laziness and procrastination can take us nowhere but down.
"Diligent hands will rule, but laziness ends in forced labor."--Proverbs 12:24(NIV)
If you struggle in this area, ask God to reveal the origin of laziness and/or procrastination. Is it fear? Is it hurt? Was it something that you picked up in your environment as a child? Once God reveals the origin, go after it with the word of God. The Bible tells us that the word of God is a sword. It is alive. It is powerful. It cuts coming and going. It is also able to see and expose what is really at work in our hearts. There is nothing that the Word of God cannot penetrate.
"For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires."--Hebrews 4:12(NLT)
As you declare the word of God, begin to move! Set small, obtainable goals. Ask the Lord for guidance and help in reaching your set goals. You will begin to see movement in your life. Laziness and procrastination can be overcome, but it requires your participation, determination, and effort!
I remember as a child and young teenager growing up, I looked forward to summer vacation. I'm sure most would agree that the end of a long, daunting school year meant welcoming the ease of summer living. We relished in anticipation of the lazy days of summer; swinging in a hammock slurping melting popsicles and doing positively nothing... Wait! Maybe that happened somewhere in the world, but not in my household!!! My parents would have my sisters and I up early in the morning as if it were a school day. We would be assigned various chores inside and outside in the blistering heat. I am exaggerating? Perhaps a little. Now in retrospect and looking back at the immaturity that accompanies childhood, I see they were instilling a life principle and personal discipline--there is no gain in laziness or reward in procrastination.
God has a lot to say about laziness and procrastination; and none of it is good. Laziness and procrastination are mindsets. They are habits, tendencies, and learned behavior. Proverbs 26 speaks of the slothful man whose excuse for not leaving his home was that there may be a lion outside! Pretty lame excuse, right? But that is what laziness produces--absurd excuses to justify inactivity of purposeful delay. The same Proverb also speaks of a slothful person even being too lazy eat. It may sound unbelievable, but it's true. Laziness and procrastination can take us nowhere but down.
"Diligent hands will rule, but laziness ends in forced labor."--Proverbs 12:24(NIV)
If you struggle in this area, ask God to reveal the origin of laziness and/or procrastination. Is it fear? Is it hurt? Was it something that you picked up in your environment as a child? Once God reveals the origin, go after it with the word of God. The Bible tells us that the word of God is a sword. It is alive. It is powerful. It cuts coming and going. It is also able to see and expose what is really at work in our hearts. There is nothing that the Word of God cannot penetrate.
"For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires."--Hebrews 4:12(NLT)
As you declare the word of God, begin to move! Set small, obtainable goals. Ask the Lord for guidance and help in reaching your set goals. You will begin to see movement in your life. Laziness and procrastination can be overcome, but it requires your participation, determination, and effort!
