Christians Should Not Be Lazy

Laziness is a sin.God very clearly says that Christians should "work at everything with their whole heart". There are many proverbs in the Bible that speak of laziness as being wrong. The lazy person is compared to a sluggard that won't even bring his hand back to his mouth to eat.

So what makes a lazy Christian? The same things that make anyone lazy - not working. Now God does not say that we can never rest. In fact he provided His sabbath for just a need. We also know that the Bible does not condemn rest and relaxation. But a Christian should be known for a good work ethic. God tells us that we are to live such good lives among the pagans that though they may accuse us of doing wrong they will see our good deeds and praise God.

When we are at work we should be working. At one time I worked at a lumber mill. I had no choice but to work. A loud horn would sound and then the machines would start kicking out wood. If you were not working, and working hard, you would soon be buried in wood. You would also get fired. And then I think about what I would expect if I hired someone - maybe to rake my leaves. While they were getting paid, if they did anything other than raking, it would be unacceptable. Shouldn't our attitude as a worker be the same?

I have worked many jobs, both with Christians and non-Christians, and from a work-ethic standpoint it was often hard to tell the difference. While at work we should not be taking smoke breaks, making personal calls, chatting with co-workers or anything else that is not related to us doing our job. People often bemoan the poor work ethic of the young. Christians should give no one an opportunity to say that about us.

At home it can be the same thing. Is our house a mess? Is our yard unkempt? Now if we spend all of our free time helping the poor or volunteering at a nursing home this may be acceptable. But what if we are instead watching television, playing outside or doing anything else except taking care of that which God has given us? According to the Bible that would be laziness.

Laziness, just like any sin, is hard to combat. It is always easier to rest than it is to work. But just as with any sin, we need to do as the Bible says: resist it to the point of shedding blood. And further-more, laziness is not a sin which is just between us and God. If we are lazy then our poor conduct is on full display to everyone. Let us as Christians never be known for laziness.