A Great Waster
He also that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster. ~Proverbs 18:9
When you hear the word "slothful," what comes to your mind? The book of Proverbs has much to say about slothfulness and its effect on us. Solomon saw the many faces of his society. He saw those who worked hard and were rewarded for their diligent efforts. He also saw those who did not work: those who depended upon others to do their work for them. This morning, we are considering how slothfulness is a waste of a person’s life.
There are the attributes of a slothful man.
A slothful man is someone who is lazy and indifferent. This is a person who lacks motivation to being industrious and productive. He is described as a man who takes substance in hunting but has no desire to prepare it for a meal. He is described as a person who does not watch the seasons and prepare to have sufficient food to last him through winter. He expects other people to pick up for him and take care of him. He makes no contribution towards achievement of any kind. He lacks goals, vision, and a direction. A slothful person avoids work, sweat, and effort of any kind. Slothfulness is the enemy of accomplishment, productivity, and advancement.
There are the associations of a slothful man.
Solomon tells us that a slothful man in his work is a brother to him that is a great waster. Slothful people waste their time by being indolent and playing around. They waste the resources available to them by spending it up instead of saving. They waste their opportunities by not taking advantage of the window of time that they have to do things. They advance in age and realize that they do not have any more time to accumulate and care for their old age. They enjoy being with other people who waste their money, time, and energy. They think nothing of an entire day, week, month, or year wasted doing nothing productive. He is a brother to him that is a great waster. They are dreamers with no fulfillment. They are wishful, but never putting an action plan to what they are doing.
There is the avoidance of the slothful man.
We must decide that being slothful is being wasteful. We must decide that being slothful is a sin and reproach to God. So, how do we avoid slothful people? First, we should minimize spending our time with slothful people. We should be kind, but let them know we are on a schedule. Second, we should realize that slothful people are not people whom we should be seeking counsel from. They might have ideas, but they are poor on execution. Third, we must be discerning as to the subtleties of slothfulness. Slothful people are party people. They will ensnare you into events and activities that waste your time. We must redeem our time. We must work for the night is coming. We must number our days that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. We must live to make a difference in the lives of others.
Slothfulness is counterproductive to a life of fulfillment. Be careful that you are not wasting your life and time with people who are going nowhere in their life. Avoid idle talk, idle people, and an idle life. Do something great with your time, life, and opportunities! Don’t waste your life!
Have a diligent God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: Matthew 13-14