Tag Archives: Sluggard

August 23, 2019

Get a Job! Or 3 or 4!

By Anthony Baker

Proverbs 13:4

“The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.”

“I’m Gonna…”

I can’t tell you how many times I have heard people say, “I’m gonna (do this or that).” I have heard grand schemes, everything from opening a new business, to joining the military, to inventing a never-before-heard-of product that will revolutionize the world. Yet, nothing ever gets done.

The “sluggard” is a man or woman that is flat-out lazy. The word comes from the idea of calling a person a slug, or a snail. But at least a snail is usually on his way somewhere, albeit slowly. The sluggard does nothing but talk of plans in the works, but work is never seen.

Get a Job!

Just today I was talking with a mother of a grown man out of work. He constantly takes from her, then runs off until the money is gone. He abuses her property, never gives her respect, and tries to play “daddy” with a girl who is not his wife. And when it comes to work, he complains that he can’t find a job. Baloney…Hogwash…Cow feces!

I thank God for allowing my wife and I to hit rock bottom years ago. I went from making a large income to making nothing. Just to put food on the table and keep a roof over my family’s heads, I (and my wife) did everything from deliver news papers, to clean toilets in factories. I delivered pizza, worked on a dangerous assembly line, and even sold insurance. At one point I was working 3-4 jobs at one time!

You see, the lazy sluggard has big desires, but won’t take responsibility and work for it. The diligent will do whatever it takes.

Little Patience

Today’s proverb reminds me of how little patience I have for “sluggards.” In my opinion there is no excuse for someone to sit on his duff and whine about what he doesn’t have. A real man will work, even if it is not the type of work he prefers. It is his responsibility, especially if he has a family.

Some want to use the “system” as an excuse for laziness. Others want to blame the government or the “bourgeoisie.” But in reality, the only one to blame is the one who desires something, but does nothing honest to obtain it. Honest, hard work is the answer to a great deal of society’s woes.

“But, there are no good jobs!” you may say. Sorry, washing dishes is a job. Cleaning floors is a job. And, if you do both at the same time, along with getting tips from waiting tables, you can live without mooching off your mother.

“But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.” – 1 Timothy 5:8

“The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.” – Ecclesiastes 5:12

“Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.” – Ephesians 4:28

Thus sayeth the Lord: “Get a job.”

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June 23, 2019

Irritating Sluggards

By Daniel M. Klem

Proverbs 10:26

“As vinegar to the teeth, and as smoke to the eyes, so is the sluggard to them that send him.”

Dressings and Fire

I am a great fan of sauces and dressings. I used to be one who drowned everything in them.

My two favorite dressings are Catalina (like French) and Honey Mustard (not all, as some are just not good). Immediately after those are vinegar based dressings: Italian, various vinaigrettes, a family recipe affectionately called Dad’s Dressing, a good Balsamic, etcetera.

I also enjoy sitting by a good fire (though not to close, as I am a warm person generally). I enjoy the sight of the flames licking at wood and coals, the sound of the crackling and hissing as the fibers are pulled apart in the heat, and the smell of the freshly carbon-ated air (get it?).

I also enjoy the fellowship to be had over a good meal and around a good fire.

The downside is that too much vinegar starts to irritate my teeth and stomach. The downside is that sometimes the wind changes direction, and I have smoke in my eyes, burning and irritating.

Irritating

Have you ever had to work along side another person who will not work?

In 2002 I worked at a McDonald’s with a man who bragged about everything.  He wrote some songs for Scott Stapp of the band Creed; he boasted of his girlfriend, the model; he went on about his career in the Marines; and he even shared tales of his amazing Christian feats with me. Nevertheless, I was the one who got in trouble for his lack of work on the line!

I’ve also been the one who has hired people who looked good on paper, and talked a good game, but forced me to do almost all the work I assigned them (for the two weeks they were each employed by me).

I have been a student working in a group, and had one, or all, of my group members fail to do their part. However, to be fair, I have been that worker and student a time or two, also.

But every time it is irritating.

Every time it takes at least twice the work to get things done.

Just a food for thought: How many times have you been called by God to do something … and not done it?

Jesus, thank You for Your patience and grace. Thank You for Your strength. Help us do the work we are to do, to be pleasing in Your sight and with others. Help us have the same grace, patience, and strength to live with our fellow sluggards.

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , , , | posted in Faithfulness, Warnings

May 2, 2019

Don’t Be Lazy!

By Jason Sneed

Proverbs 6:9-11

“How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep? Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.”

Lazy Quotes:

Laziness is nothing more than the habit of resting before you get tired. ~Jules Renard

Benjamin Franklin put is this way:

“Laziness travels so slowly that poverty soon overtakes him.”

Eleanor Roosevelt said this about being lazy:

“So much attention is paid to the aggressive sins, such as violence and cruelty and greed with all their tragic effects, that too little attention is paid to the passive sins, such as apathy and laziness, which in the long run can have a more devastating effect.”

Enemies that Destroy:

Eleanor Roosevelt must have read the words of Solomon in chapter 6 of Proverbs when she wrote those words. In this chapter, Solomon is addressing three enemies that can have a devastating effect on a person financially, physically, morally, or spiritually:

  1. Unwise Financial Commitments (Proverbial Thought – Proverbs 6: 1-5)
  2. Laziness – Proverbs 6-11 (Proverbial Thought – Proverbs 6:6-8)
  3. Lust – Proverbs 20-35

When You Least Expect It

Verses 9 and 10 describe exactly who the lazy person is (a sluggard), while verse 11 explains what is going to happen to that person. While the sluggard is busy doing nothing – they become poor (thy poverty) and do not even realize it. I like the way verse 11 reads in the ESV – “and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man.”

A robber is not going to call you up and tell you that he is about ready to invade your home and take everything from you. No, he is going to sneak into your house at a time that you least expect. Solomon is basically warning those people who are lazy and love their sleep that before you know it, you are going to lose everything.

A Cause of Poverty

There are a lot of people that are poor simply because they won’t work. There is work available, but they prefer or choose not to know about it. This is what the Bible says about those people:

  • “Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth” (Proverbs 10:4 NIV).
  • “Do not love sleep, lest you come to poverty” (Proverbs 20:13 NKJV)
One Final Thought – They’re Looking
Regarding being lazy – if you are a Christ follower – don’t ever forget that the world is watching! They are watching to see how we act. They are watching to see how we play. They are watching to see how we live our lives and THEY ARE WATCHING TO SEE HOW WE WORK – DON’T BE LAZY!

Lord, please help your people not to be lazy. Help us to be worth our hire – to our employers and to You. Help us to strive to fulfill Ecclesiastes 9:10 – “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might…”

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September 29, 2018

Lazy Arguments

By Daniel M. Klem

The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit than seven men that can render a reason. -Proverbs 26:16, KJV

While I work on projects during the day, I like to listen to podcasts or YouTube videos.

Recently, I saw two videos in a row showing people outside of abortion clinics, and in both the pro-life groups were confronted by a single person each time who had to tell them why they were “wrong for being anti-abortion.”

The difference between the two pro-abortion advocated and the two groups of pro-life advocates was striking.

(Quick disclaimer: this is not calling all who are pro-abortion are sluggards or unthinking, nor all who are pro-life as loving or logical in discourse. Lazy argumentation can go both ways!)

In both instances, the individuals were so convinced that they were right that they never responded to the pro-life arguments, merely falling back on emotional appeals and ad hominem (basically, personal) attacks. There was no logic nor appeals to evidence, and their opponents were evil and uncaring.

Conversely, the two groups remained respectful, grace-filled, and logical.

The whole point here is that it is lazy to only appeal to emotions and unverified facts. It is lazy to attack the person instead reasoning through facts and logical arguments.

Whether or not you support abortion, this is how all people (Christians in particular) should interact with others. It is a biblical expectation. (Isaiah 43:26, 1 Peter 3:15)

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April 25, 2015

Get a Job! Or 3 or 4!

By Anthony Baker

Proverbs 13:4

“The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.”

“I’m Gonna…”

I can’t tell you how many times I have heard people say, “I’m gonna (do this or that).” I have heard grand schemes, everything from opening a new business, to joining the military, to inventing a never-before-heard-of product that will revolutionize the world. Yet, nothing ever gets done.

The “sluggard” is a man or woman that is flat-out lazy. The word comes from the idea of calling a person a slug, or a snail. But at least a snail is usually on his way somewhere, albeit slowly. The sluggard does nothing but talk of plans in the works, but work is never seen.

Get a Job!

Just today I was talking with a mother of a grown man out of work. He constantly takes from her, then runs off until the money is gone. He abuses her property, never gives her respect, and tries to play “daddy” with a girl who is not his wife. And when it comes to work, he complains that he can’t find a job. Baloney…Hogwash…Cow feces!

I thank God for allowing my wife and I to hit rock bottom years ago. I went from making a large income to making nothing. Just to put food on the table and keep a roof over my family’s heads, I (and my wife) did everything from deliver news papers, to clean toilets in factories. I delivered pizza, worked on a dangerous assembly line, and even sold insurance. At one point I was working 3-4 jobs at one time!

You see, the lazy sluggard has big desires, but won’t take responsibility and work for it. The diligent will do whatever it takes.

Little Patience

Today’s proverb reminds me of how little patience I have for “sluggards.” In my opinion there is no excuse for someone to sit on his duff and whine about what he doesn’t have. A real man will work, even if it is not the type of work he prefers. It is his responsibility, especially if he has a family.

Some want to use the “system” as an excuse for laziness. Others want to blame the government or the “bourgeoisie.” But in reality, the only one to blame is the one who desires something, but does nothing honest to obtain it. Honest, hard work is the answer to a great deal of society’s woes.

“But, there are no good jobs!” you may say. Sorry, washing dishes is a job. Cleaning floors is a job. And, if you do both at the same time, along with getting tips from waiting tables, you can live without mooching off your mother.

“But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.” – 1 Timothy 5:8

“The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.” – Ecclesiastes 5:12

“Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.” – Ephesians 4:28

Thus sayeth the Lord: “Get a job.”

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , , , , | posted in counsel, desire, Money and Finances, Parenting, Uncategorized, Value and Worth, Work

October 23, 2014

Irritating Sluggards

By Daniel M. Klem

Proverbs 10:26

“As vinegar to the teeth, and as smoke to the eyes, so is the sluggard to them that send him.”

Dressings and Fire

I am a great fan of sauces and dressings. I used to be one who drowned everything in them.

My two favorite dressings are Catalina (like French) and Honey Mustard (not all, as some are just not good). Immediately after those are vinegar based dressings: Italian, various vinaigrettes, a family recipe affectionately called Dad’s Dressing, a good Balsamic, etcetera.

I also enjoy sitting by a good fire (though not to close, as I am a warm person generally). I enjoy the sight of the flames licking at wood and coals, the sound of the crackling and hissing as the fibers are pulled apart in the heat, and the smell of the freshly carbon-ated air (get it?).

I also enjoy the fellowship to be had over a good meal and around a good fire.

The downside is that too much vinegar starts to irritate my teeth and stomach. The downside is that sometimes the wind changes direction, and I have smoke in my eyes, burning and irritating.

Irritating

Have you ever had to work along side another person who will not work?

In 2002 I worked at a McDonald’s with a man who bragged about everything.  He wrote some songs for Scott Stapp of the band Creed; he boasted of his girlfriend, the model; he went on about his career in the Marines; and he even shared tales of his amazing Christian feats with me. Nevertheless, I was the one who got in trouble for his lack of work on the line!

I’ve also been the one who has hired people who looked good on paper, and talked a good game, but forced me to do almost all the work I assigned them (for the two weeks they were each employed by me).

I have been a student working in a group, and had one, or all, of my group members fail to do their part. However, to be fair, I have been that worker and student a time or two, also.

But every time it is irritating.

Every time it takes at least twice the work to get things done.

Just a food for thought: How many times have you been called by God to do something … and not done it?

Jesus, thank You for Your patience and grace. Thank You for Your strength. Help us do the work we are to do, to be pleasing in Your sight and with others. Help us have the same grace, patience, and strength to live with our fellow sluggards.

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , , , | posted in Faithfulness, Warnings

October 25, 2012

Proverbs 13:4

By Anthony Baker
“The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.”

“I’m Gonna…”

I can’t tell you how many times I have heard people say, “I’m gonna (do this or that).” I have heard grand schemes, everything from opening a new business, to joining the military, to inventing a never-before-heard-of product that will revolutionize the world. Yet, nothing ever gets done.

The “sluggard” is a man or woman that is flat-out lazy. The word comes from the idea of calling a person a slug, or a snail. But at least a snail is usually on his way somewhere, albeit slowly. The sluggard does nothing but talk of plans in the works, but work is never seen.

Get a Job!

Just today I was talking with a mother of a grown man out of work. He constantly takes from her, then runs off until the money is gone. He abuses her property, never gives her respect, and tries to play “daddy” with a girl who is not his wife. And when it comes to work, he complains that he can’t find a job. Baloney…Hogwash…Cow feces!

I thank God for allowing my wife and I to hit rock bottom about 10 years ago. I went from making a large income to making nothing. In order to make it, because my career had be done away with, I had to find other work to pay the bills. In order to put food on the table and keep a roof over my family’s heads, I (and my wife) did everything from deliver news papers, to clean toilets in factories. I delivered pizza, worked on dangerous assembly line, and even sold insurance. At one point I was working 3-4 jobs at one time!

You see, the lazy sluggard has big desires, but won’t take responsibility and work for it. The diligent will do whatever it takes.

Little Patience

Today’s proverb reminds me of how little patience I have for “sluggards.” In my opinion there is no excuse for someone to sit on his duff and whine about what he doesn’t have. A real man will work, even if it is not the type of work he prefers. It is his responsibility, especially if he has a family.

Some want to use the “system” as an excuse for laziness. Others want to blame the government or the “bourgeoisie.” But in reality, the only one to blame is the one who desires something, but does nothing honest to obtain it. Honest, hard work is the answer to a great deal of society’s woes.

“But, there are no good jobs!” you may say. Sorry, washing dishes is a job. Cleaning floors is a job. And, if you do both at the same time, along with getting tips from waiting tables, you can live without mooching off your mother.

“But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.” – 1 Timothy 5:8

“The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.” – Ecclesiastes 5:12

“Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.” – Ephesians 4:28

Thus sayeth the Lord: “Get a job.”

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2 Comments   |  tags: , , , , , , | posted in counsel, desire, Money and Finances, Parenting, Uncategorized, Value and Worth, Work

June 1, 2012

Don’t Be Lazy!

By Jason Sneed

Proverbs 6:9-11

“How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep? Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.”

Lazy Quotes:

Laziness is nothing more than the habit of resting before you get tired. ~Jules Renard

Benjamin Franklin put is this way:

“Laziness travels so slowly that poverty soon overtakes him.”

Eleanor Roosevelt said this about being lazy:

“So much attention is paid to the aggressive sins, such as violence and cruelty and greed with all their tragic effects, that too little attention is paid to the passive sins, such as apathy and laziness, which in the long run can have a more devastating effect.”

Enemies that Destroy:

Eleanor Roosevelt must have read the words of Solomon in chapter 6 of Proverbs when she wrote those words. In this chapter, Solomon is addressing three enemies that can have a devastating effect on a person financially, physically, morally, or spiritually:

  1. Unwise Financial Commitments (Proverbial Thought – Proverbs 6: 1-5)
  2. Laziness – Proverbs 6-11 (Proverbial Thought – Proverbs 6:6-8)
  3. Lust – Proverbs 20-35

When You Least Expect It

Verses 9 and 10 describe exactly who the lazy person is (a sluggard), while verse 11 explains what is going to happen to that person. While the sluggard is busy doing nothing – they become poor (thy poverty) and do not even realize it. I like the way verse 11 reads in the ESV – “and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man.”

A robber is not going to call you up and tell you that he is about ready to invade your home and take everything from you. No, he is going to sneak into your house at a time that you least expect. Solomon is basically warning those people who are lazy and love their sleep that before you know it, you are going to lose everything.

A Cause of Poverty

There are a lot of people that are poor simply because they won’t work. There is work available, but they prefer or choose not to know about it. This is what the Bible says about those people:

  • “Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth” (Proverbs 10:4 NIV).
  • “Do not love sleep, lest you come to poverty” (Proverbs 20:13 NKJV)
One Final Thought – They’re Looking
Regarding being lazy – if you are a Christ follower – don’t ever forget that the world is watching! They are watching to see how we act. They are watching to see how we play. They are watching to see how we live our lives and THEY ARE WATCHING TO SEE HOW WE WORK – DON’T BE LAZY!

Lord, please help your people not to be lazy. Help us to be worth our hire – to our employers and to You. Help us to strive to fulfill Ecclesiastes 9:10 – “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might…”

2 Comments   |  tags: , , , , , , , | posted in Warnings, Wisdom