Laziness – What does the Bible say?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

The Bible has much to say about laziness, as well as its opposite: diligent work. The topic of laziness, although found throughout the Bible, is most often referred to in the Old Testament book of Proverbs. Laziness is seen as foolish and warned against. God created humans to work, though disobedience has made work challenging; refusing to work reflects continued rebellion. In the New Testament, believers are called to work not for wealth but from love for God and others, contributing cheerfully and avoiding idleness. Christians are to rely on God’s strength to work diligently and to grow in faith, recognizing that good works flow from our relationship with Christ, not as a means to earn salvation.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• The word "sluggard" appears fourteen times in the book of Proverbs. The longest of those passages is Proverbs 6:6–11: "Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise. Without having any chief, officer, or ruler, she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest. How long will you lie there, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man." Laziness is clearly not the way of the wise.
• God created mankind to work (Genesis 1:28; 2:15). Meaningful work—whether paid or unpaid—is part of living out our purpose and design. Putting forth effort in our lives toward positive ends is one way in which we experience dignity and joy.
• Because of mankind's disobedience, God cursed the ground and work became toilsome and grievous (Genesis 3:17–19). Our efforts do not always lead to the outcomes we desire, and even when they do, work can feel painful and tiresome. However, God did not revoke the creation mandate. The refusal to work is a further manifestation of mankind's continued disobedience.
• Those who work, but in a lazy manner, are an irritation to their employers, as smoke is an irritant to the eyes (Proverbs 10:26).
• The sluggard or lazy person is characterized by excessive sleep (Proverbs 26:14), excuse-making (Proverbs 22:13), conceit (Proverbs 26:16), and emptiness (Proverbs 13:4).

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• God works (John 5:17).
• Laziness, being a sin, has disastrous consequences, as do all sins (Romans 6:23).
• Specifically, laziness leads to poverty. In fact, Scripture states that those who are able to work, but refuse to do so, should not be allowed to eat (2 Thessalonians 3:10–12).
• Workaholism or frenetic working out of fear or greed is just as displeasing to God as laziness. As believers in Christ, we are to be motivated to work, not for earthly riches, but by our love for Jesus and others. We are called not to be idle busybodies who need to depend on outsiders to provide for us, but to be cheerful givers who have something to share with those in need (Matthew 6:19–21; Ephesians 4:28; 2 Thessalonians 3:11–12; 1 Timothy 6:9–10).
• We are also to do our work as unto the Lord (Colossians 3:17, 23) and to gratefully receive times of rest and refreshment. Rather than being lazy, we diligently work and rest as God has called us.
• Christians are called to serve the Lord with zeal in whatever we do (Romans 12:11; 1 Corinthians 10:31).

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

We are called not only to work to provide for ourselves and our family (1 Timothy 5:8) but also to put in effort—work—to progress in our sanctification (2 Peter 1:5–11; Philippians 2:12–13). God has provided us with the tools we need to grow in grace. Specifically, we grow through the diligent study of the Scriptures (2 Timothy 2:15), fervent prayer (1 Thessalonians 5:17), regularly meeting together with fellow believers (Hebrews 10:24–25), exercising our spiritual gifts for the building up of the body of Christ (Romans 12:3–8; Ephesians 4:11–16), and by the Holy Spirit's work in us (2 Corinthians 3:18). We must always keep in mind that without abiding in Christ and relying on the indwelling power of His Spirit in us, we can do nothing (John 15:5). We are not justified before God based on our works, but on the basis of the work of Jesus Christ (John 4:34; 5:36; 17:4; Galatians 2:16). It is God's grace, received through faith, that justifies us; good works and spiritual fruit are the inevitable result of that faith (Ephesians 2:8–10; 2 Corinthians 5:17).

When it comes to laziness we do well to recall the exhortation of Romans 12:11: "Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord." We also remember that "it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13) and He is faithful to complete the good work He began in us (Philippians 1:6).

UNDERSTAND

• Laziness is a sin.
• God works, and we were created to work.
• We don’t work in our own power but equipped by the Holy Spirit.

REFLECT

• How do you respond to the call to work diligently rather than lazily, knowing that God has designed you for work?
• Where in your life do you struggle with procrastination or excuse-making, and how can you address these sins by relying on God’s strength?
• What motivates you to work—is it for personal gain, or out of love for God and others?

ENGAGE

• The words most often used to describe laziness are "sluggard" and "slothful." These terms are more illustrative than our modern term "lazy." For example, a sloth moves on the ground at a lazy six and a half feet per minute; a certain type of slug clocks in at an astoundingly slow pace of six and a half inches in two hours.
• How can we, as believers, cultivate a mindset that values both diligent work and proper rest, as God intends?
• How does our approach to work and rest impact our spiritual growth and witness to others?