Laziness Causes a Man to Destroy Himself – (Proverbs 20:4)
Daily Proverbs
Daily Bible Study
Laziness is one of those sinful traits which the Bible, especially the book of Proverbs speaks much about. It's also one of the few sins that both God and a fallen world hate. And that's because of the sin of laziness wastes all blessings no mater how large or how small. Laziness makes a person useless in the eyes of everyone good or bad. Moreover, it's also one of the traits which can cause a person to destroy themselves, their families and anyone who relies on that person. And that's the picture the Bible is drawing for us here in this passage. In this verse we see the man who because of his laziness did not plow his field in time, and as a result there is no food for himself or his family. Laziness is the one sin which wastes all the blessings God has given us, thereby making our lives useless for God and a burden on others. Laziness causes us to lose God's blessings because we fail to use our gifts and we miss opportunities the Lord may bring our way.
With laziness we don't just hurt ourselves; but we also hurt those around us, those who rely on us, and more importantly we offend God. The Lord has made each one of us unique and has given each and every one of us a unique blend of gifts, talents and attributes in a combination, which is special to us individually. Moreover, all people great and small are to use our time, talents and resources in God's service, to provide for our families and to help those around us who are in need. When we let laziness take over our lives, we waste those gifts, dishonor ourselves, hurt others and we cause ruin for those who depend on us. In addition, laziness causes us to ignore those in need around us. But most of all we place ourselves in rebellion against God, we do so because of our disobedience. With laziness we present an unloving heart of disobedience to God, unloving because we have shown no regard for the gifts and blessings He has given us. Moreover, we show disregard and hatred to those who love us and to our families who depend on us.