Last time, we began Proverbs 6, continuing the practical outworking of keeping our hearts for God, and including topics like sexual purity and stewardship. Today we will be looking at the wastefulness (and sinfulness) of sloth. Here is the passage:
6 Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise. 7 Without having any chief, officer, or ruler, 8 she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest. 9 How long will you lie there, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep? 10 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, 11 and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man.
In the ancient world—and even until quite recently—if a person slowed down and became lazy, that quite often led to poverty or death. For this reason, sloth was often very much condemned and hated by society at large. Today, however, when someone hears the word “slothful,” one does not often hear a terrible sin condemned by God, but something almost acceptable or even morally neutral. Think of the last time you heard someone speaking about the sinfulness of sloth. It is not a topic that people often talk about today, and yet Scripture regards it as a serious sin before God. It used to be quite self-evident that one who engages in sloth is a lover of his own rest, comfort, and slumber, but not a lover of God or others. For instance, Paul has strong words for the slothful: “But if anyone does not provide for his own, that is his own household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (1 Tim. 5:8). (Note that we would be wrong to assume this providing is only limited to material possessions, but more on that later). Rather, Solomon uses the ants as an example of diligent work, who made good use of the seasons to ensure that they have all that they need for the winter—a time when food would become scarce or impossible to gather. All that it takes is one inclination to rest and tragedy may hit, or we may form a pattern of laziness: a habitual laziness that is an ongoing sin before God.
What, then, is the spirit of the work that God desires? We have already seen diligence as a good antidote to sloth, but why don’t we tie it to keeping our hearts in wisdom? Ephesians chapters 4-6 have a good deal to say about the true spirit of this obedience. Look for instance at Ephesians 4:28b: “he must do honest work with his own hands, so that he has something to share with anyone in need.” How can the slothful help others with what he has if he neglects honest work? He cannot help to support believers in need or be hospitable without giving out of his own need. We can also extract some good principles from Ephesians 6:6-8, which says, “6 Don’t work only while being watched, in order to please men, but as slaves of Christ, do God’s will from your heart. 7 Serve with a good attitude, as to the Lord and not to men, 8 knowing that whatever good each one does, slave or free, he will receive this back from the Lord.” (1) In verse 6, we can see that our work is not actually for ourselves. Rather, we are slaves to Christ. (2) Likewise, Christ does not desire just any conduct in our work, but that we “do God’s will from your heart.” Thus, every bit of our work involves our whole selves (which the heart depicts), and all of our work is to be done as for the Lord: that we may do His will. Our work is thus not for us to pick up or drop or to be conducted as we please, but is to be done in all heart-keeping and wisdom as ones accountable to God. That is also the message of verse 7. And (3) God will reward us for the genuineness our work. We are working for Him, after all, and not for ourselves. Given this, sloth is thus an afront to the service owed to God and to men: God in that He is our Master, and men in that we are to use what we have to help and serve others as would please God.
This teaching can—and should be—still taken further. I alluded to this earlier. Paul said in Ephesians 5:15-16, “15 Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk—not as unwise people but as wise— 16 making the most of the time, because the days are evil.” The context surrounding this verse is to urgently live in light of the truth, requiring diligence and sobriety in the short and evil time we have on earth. This teaching is comprehensive, employing all Godly wisdom. As in 1 Timothy 5:8, providing for one’s household cannot be limited to material things, but must also include all matters of responsibility given to us from God. For instance, we can show sloth by neglecting the spiritual training of our children or spiritual edification of our spouse. We can be slothful to provide proper godly discipline and instruction to our children. We can also be slothful in our own spiritual lives, which invariably leads to backsliding and keeping oneself immature in the faith, and thus ineffective in carrying out our other spiritual responsibilities. Our passage on slothfulness cannot be limited to material providence, but must—as is foundational to Proverbs—include the whole duty of man before God. The principles of sowing and reaping apply to our spiritual lives and to those under our care, and their consequences are no less real than the death or ruin that can come from material laziness. One is as a reflection of the other.
Yet, as Christians, we do not need to worry about these things. Christ gives us sound advice, that, if we are seeking Him first (that is, guarding our hearts for God in wisdom), then “don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ 32 For the idolaters eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. 34 Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matt. 6:31-34). As far as we pursue God’s kingdom and righteousness, God will provide for us all that we need. So, we ought to work diligently in all that God puts before us and for all that He puts under our care, but all towards seeking His kingdom and righteousness above all, since all is given to us for that purpose. Thus, we come full-circle again to pursuing the righteousness of God in all heart-keeping and wisdom. This too is a gift from God: that we can grow in God’s wisdom and have the work of Christ undergird and supply abundant grace towards this end.
Next time we will be looking at our conduct, contrasting a heart solely after God with one consumed with pursuing wickedness.