SOME CHARACTERISTICS OF A SLOTHFUL PERSON (I)

Bible Text: Proverbs 26:13-16
“A sluggard says, ‘There’s a lion in the road, a fierce lion roaming the streets!’ As a door turns on its hinges, so a sluggard turns on his bed. A sluggard buries his hand in the dish; he is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth. A sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven people who answer discreetly.”

To guard against the negative attitude of slothfulness and outrightly reject the temptation to put forth anything less than our best efforts, it becomes important to familiarize ourselves with some of the characteristics of a slothful person.

The first characteristic is that a slothful person makes soft choices. Slothfulness develops gradually as a person makes “little” decisions with the goal of maintaining comfort and taking the easy path. A sluggard’s choices may include decisions to stay in bed a little longer, extend lunch and coffee breaks at work, or spend time in idle chatter. A slothful person may procrastinate or refuse to work in adverse conditions. These actions may seem harmless initially, but soon they can set the standard for a way of life. Proverbs 6:10–11 says:

“Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: So shall thy poverty come as one that traveleth, and thy want as an armed man.”

Another characteristic of a slothful person is that they disregard time and seasons. According to Proverbs 20:4, “The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold; therefore shall he beg in harvest, and have nothing.” To them, one day is as good as another. They assume that what they do not do today can just as easily be done tomorrow. The sluggard does not understand the value of time or the meaning of seasons. Their basic philosophy is to live for the moment and let the future take its own course.

The slothful do not consider that they must one day give an account to God for the way they have used their time. They see nightfall as a justifiable reason for sleep, not for examining whether or not they have earned it. The slothful consider winter an intrusion on their life, not a time for which to prepare and enjoy the fruit of their labor. As a result, they have little and become dependent on the diligent, whose industry keeps them alive.

The third characteristic is that a slothful person leaves tasks unfinished. They are lethargic in everything they do. Each job becomes a mountain in their path instead of a door of opportunity. If they are visited by success, they do not recognize or value it. To the slothful, success simply means more work. Thus, they allow opportunities to slip by and permit half-completed jobs to spoil. Even the maintenance of what they possess or govern becomes a burden to them. Ecclesiastes 10:18 says: “By much slothfulness the building decayeth; and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through.”

Beloved of God, this year, you may need to checkmate your slothful attitude. If you possess any of the above characteristics, the implication is that you are slothful. You will need to make adjustments, change your lifestyle, and brace up this year. Slothfulness is nothing but a devourer. Don’t allow it to destroy you this year. Don’t allow it to frustrate your career and business.
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Prophetic Prayer
I pray for you today:

1. This year, slothfulness will not destroy you in Jesus’ name.
2. Receive unusual energy to perform your responsibilities.
3. This year, you shall not faint.
4. This year, your strength shall be renewed.
5. You will soar on wings like eagles; you will run and not grow weary;
   you will walk and not grow tired.

So shall it be in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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Have a good day.

CHRIST IS THE ANSWER!

Yours in Christ,

Revd. Dr. Bayo Sola Aremu
Church Pastor
Yaba Baptist Church
Sabo-Yaba, Lagos