God’s Promises When You Struggle With Laziness

At the back of my Bible is a list of God’s promises for certain feelings and situations. I thought it would be appropriate to start the year with the verses listed under God’s promises when you struggle with laziness to encourage myself and others to start aright.

Laziness is a something you feel when you don’t feel like doing something you’re supposed to do or someone is inviting you to do. It may be as simple as doing your homework, cleaning the kitchen or even going out to the movies. It may happen sometimes if you’re not naturally lazy and for many, people just blame the biorhythm, let it happen, and pick up themselves the next day or two. For others, though, who are naturally lazy, that’s a different story and something has to be done or it will be a casualty for life.

Regardless, what does the Bible say about laziness?

(I’m using the King James Version but I’ll write translations of certain common words like: thee=you, thou=you, art=are, runneth=runs, thy=your, etc, for it to be easily understood by those used to the modern English language.)

Proverbs 6:6-11

Go to the ant, you sluggard, consider her ways, and be wise;

Which have no guide, overseer, or ruler,

Provides her meat in the sumer, and gathers her food in the harvest.

How long will you sleep, O sluggard? When will you rise out of your sleep?

Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep;

So shall your poverty come as one that travels, and your want as an armed man

Proverbs 10:4-5

He becomes poor that deals with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent makes rich.

He that gathers in summer is a wise son: but he that sleeps in harvest is a son that causes shame.

Ephesians 5:15-16

See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise,

Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

I Thessalonians 4:11-12

And that you study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;

That you may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that you may have lack of nothing.

2 Thessalonians 3:6-15

Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw yourselves from every brother that walks disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us.

For yourselves know how you ought to follow us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you;

Neither did we eat any man’s bread for nothing; but wrought with labor and travail night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you:

Not because we have not power, but to make ourselves an example unto you to follow us.

For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.

For we hear there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies.

Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ with quietness they work eat their own bread.

But you, brethren, be not weary in well doing.

And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed.

Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.

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