WISDOM FOR LIVING DAILY DEVOTIONAL
NOVEMBER 04, 2024
TOPIC: AVOID LAZINESS AND ITS ATTENDANT CONSEQUENCES
BY T. O. BANSO
“The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing; but the soul of the diligent shall be made rich” (Proverbs 13:4 New King James Version).
Laziness has grave consequences, and diligence helps to avoid them. Proverbs 31:10-31 talks about the virtuous woman; and in verse 27, it says, “She carefully watches everything in her household and suffers nothing from laziness” (New Living Translation). This woman did not suffer from laziness because she was hard-working. A lazy person is sowing a seed and will reap the harvest – the consequences. The Bible talks about many of them.
Ecclesiastes 10:18 says, “Because of laziness the building decays, and through idleness of hands the house leaks” (New King James Version). Things degenerate under a lazy person. “Laziness casts one into a deep sleep, and an idle person will suffer hunger” (Proverbs 19:15 New King James Version).
God is a worker. He made the heavens and the earth in six days. Genesis 2:2 says on the seventh day, God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. When God created Adam, He put him in the garden to tend and keep it – to work it and take care of it (Genesis 2:15). Adam was not idle.
Anyone lazy, and will not work, will end up in poverty even if he inherits vast wealth. “Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise, which, having no captain, overseer or ruler, provides her supplies in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest. How long will you slumber, O sluggard? When will you rise from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep— So shall your poverty come on you like a prowler, and your need like an armed man” (Proverbs 6:6-11 New King James Version).
The Bible says, “The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing; but the soul of the diligent shall be made rich” (Proverbs 13:4 New King James Version). The Bible further says, “Work brings profit, but mere talk leads to poverty!” (Proverbs 14:23 New Living Translation). Laziness will create poverty. A lazy person will waste his opportunities and frustrate his destiny.
In the Bible, we see how Ruth was not lazy. She was a poor widow but didn’t use that as an excuse for begging. As soon as she returned with her mother-in-law, Naomi, to Bethlehem from her country, Moab, she went into the field to pick stalks of grain or gather leftover grain behind anyone harvesting, as it was the custom (Ruth 2:2).
Unknown to her, the LORD led her to the field of Boaz, a member of her late husband’s family, where his servant in charge of the reapers noticed her diligence. “Then Boaz said to his servant who was in charge of the reapers, ‘Whose young woman is this?’ So the servant who was in charge of the reapers answered and said, ‘It is the young Moabite woman who came back with Naomi from the country of Moab. And she said, ‘Please let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves.’ So she came and has continued from morning until now, though she rested a little in the house’” (verses 5-6 New King James Version). Ruth’s hard work did not go unnoticed.
Boaz was impressed by what his servant said about Ruth and the positive report he had heard previously about Ruth’s kindness and everything she had done for her mother-in-law since the death of Ruth’s husband (verse 11). Verses 8-9 say, “Then Boaz said to Ruth, ‘You will listen, my daughter, will you not? Do not go to glean in another field, nor go from here, but stay close by my young women. Let your eyes be on the field which they reap, and go after them. Have I not commanded the young men not to touch you? And when you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink from what the young men have drawn’” (New King James Version).
While Ruth was still expressing her surprise at this uncommon favour, Boaz added more. “Now Boaz said to her at mealtime, ‘Come here, and eat of the bread, and dip your piece of bread in the vinegar’” (verse 14a King James Version). Ruth sat with Boaz’s harvesters, and he gave her some roasted grain to eat. She ate all she wanted and still had some leftovers. If she had been lazy, staying at home, she wouldn’t have enjoyed all this favour. Lazy people cheat themselves.
Diligence will put you in control. “The diligent will take control, but the lazy will be put to forced labor” (Proverbs 12:24 International Standard Version). The Good News Translation renders the verse as “Hard work will give you power; being lazy will make you a slave.”
Ruth was hard-working. “So she gleaned in the field until evening, and beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley” (Ruth 2:17 New King James Version). Note the phrase “So she gleaned in the field until evening.” She worked all day. Thus, she and her mother-in-law did not suffer hunger; they had food to eat.
God wants His children to be diligent. Diligence promotes; laziness destroys. No wonder, Boaz, as one of Ruth’s family redeemers, later married her. He must have been greatly impressed with her diligence in addition to other qualities. A lazy person is a liability! Who wants to marry a lazy person?
Laziness could be the reason some people are not effective as leaders, either in the ministry or business. Laziness will kill any venture. A leader must be diligent. “Work hard and become a leader; be lazy and become a slave” (Proverb 12:24 New Living Translation). Leadership requires more hard work.
Laziness is a disservice to any destiny but the consequences are worse in leadership. Not only does laziness destroy the leader, but it could also destroy the followers and any organization. Laziness in leadership sends a wrong signal to followers. Some of them may adjust and become lazy while some may decide that is not the right place for them to be. How can a leader demand hard work from his followers when he is lazy?
Indeed, the LORD said to Zerubbabel, “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit” (Zechariah 4:6 New King James Version). But the Spirit of God does not excuse you from hard work. The Spirit will always empower you to work but not depending on yourself. When the Spirit of the Lord comes upon someone, it doesn’t make the person lazy but to do some things, as the Bible shows in Isaiah 61:1-3 and Luke 4:18-19. Jesus said, “My Father has been working until now, and I have been working” (John 5:17 New King James Version).
Everyone must sacrifice time, money, and comfort to pursue and fulfil his destiny. No one will advance in life without diligence. “Seest thou a man diligent in his business? He shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men” (Proverbs 22:29 King James Version).
The Apostle Paul said he laboured more abundantly than all the other apostles, yet not by himself but by the grace of God which was with him (1 Corinthians 15:10). Note two things that scripture – grace and labour. You must add diligent labour to the grace that you have received from the Lord. Proverbs 21:5 says, “The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty, but those of everyone who is hasty, surely to poverty ”(New King James Version).
You cannot make a maximum impact in life with laziness. Romans 12:11 says, “Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically” (New Living Translation). Note the word “enthusiastically.” The Bible does not spare a lazy person. Proverbs 18:9 says, “He who is slothful in his work is a brother to him who is a great destroyer” (New King James Version).
Jesus would not have succeeded in His ministry, despite being the Son of God, if He had received the Spirit of the LORD upon Him and not worked. But He said, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” (Luke 2:49 New King James Version). You won’t achieve your goals by wishing but by diligence, among other things. “The desire of the lazy man kills him, for his hands refuse to labor” (Proverbs 21:25 New King James Version).
Believers must not encourage idleness or promote irresponsibility on the altar of brotherly love. The church must identify and help those who genuinely need assistance, not those who have refused to work but abuse the generosity of the church. The resources of the church should not be wasted on lazy and crafty people. Paul gave the rule that whoever does not work should not eat (2 Thessalonians 3:10). Be diligent. Avoid laziness and its attendant consequences.
TAKE ACTION!
If you are not born again, you need to give your life to Jesus now. Take the following steps: *Admit that you are a sinner, and cannot save yourself, and repent of your sins. *Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. *Renounce your past way of life – your relationship with the devil and his works. *Invite Jesus into your life. *As a mark of seriousness to mature in the faith, start attending a Bible-believing, Bible-teaching, and Bible-practising church. There they will teach you how to grow in the Kingdom of God.
Kindly say this prayer now: O Lord God, I come unto You today. I know I am a sinner, and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and God raised Him on the third day. I repent of my sins and confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I surrender my life to Jesus now and invite Him into my heart. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me and making me a child of God.
I believe you have said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You must join a Bible-believing, Bible-teaching, and Bible-practising church where they will teach you how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like a palm tree and grow like a cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things and become all God wants you to be. I will be glad to hear from you. The Lord be with you.
PRAYER POINTS: Father, I repent of laziness, especially in the pursuit of my destiny or life assignment. Father, You are a worker; I will work and not make excuses. I will not frustrate or waste the grace of God upon my life. With the help of the Holy Spirit, I shall add labour to the grace of God in my life.
(For over 900 in-depth and powerful messages by T. O. Banso, visit www.cedarministry.org).
T. O. Banso is the President of Cedar Ministry International, Abuja, Nigeria.
Phone No: +2348155744752, +2348033113523
WhatsApp No: +2349081295947
Email: cedarministryintl@yahoo.com,
cedarministryng@gmail.com
Website: www.cedarministry.org
