What causes laziness? What does the Bible say about laziness? Is it a choice or could it be a self-esteem issue or something else altogether? 

How and when does laziness show up in your life? In the physical area? With mental pursuits? Or maybe with spiritual things? And when we spot laziness in our lives, what should we do?

And most important of all, how does the gospel intersect this area and every area with which we struggle?

And from our Old Testament reading:

The devil has always sought to destroy what God loves. Proverbs says, “… All those who hate me [God] love death.”

Pagan religions frequently involve human sacrifice or behaviors that result in sickness, death, and destruction. And while the devil may seem less obvious in developed countries like ours, has ours become a culture of death, too?

Today’s Readings:

2 Kings 3 & 4
Psalm 71.17-24
Proverbs 18.9
John 17.1-26

Laziness, Self-Esteem & New Habits

Proverbs 18.9:

Fatigue & Discouragement

Today’s reading in Proverbs is short and sweet … or is it? The New Living Translation says it this way:

A lazy person is as bad as someone who destroys things.

I googled the word laziness and, not surprisingly, found articles declaring everything from the idea that laziness is a myth or that it’s just a label critical people put on others.

I, certainly, want to acknowledge that there can be times when excessive fatigue, sadness, and other emotions can rob us of motivation and energy. The result can look a lot like laziness. So we need to be careful about judging others. And when we face those times of sadness and discouragement ourselves, we must rely on God to give us the grace to fulfill our responsibilities.

But since God addresses the subject so often (I found the word lazy fourteen times in the book of Proverbs alone), we may need to take a closer look at genuine laziness.

Habits, Self-Esteem & Motivation

That great theological resource, Wikipedia, had this to say about laziness:

Laziness is a habit rather than a mental health issue. It may reflect a lack of self-esteem, a lack of positive recognition by others, a lack of discipline stemming from low self-confidence, or a lack of interest in the activity or belief in its efficacy. Laziness may manifest as procrastination or vacillation. Studies of motivation suggest that laziness may be caused by a decreased level of motivation, which in turn can be caused by over-stimulation or excessive impulses or distractions.

I certainly agree with the first sentence that laziness can become a habit. God made us as habitual beings. If we didn’t have the ability to form habits, we would waste a lot of time trying to remember how and when to do a lot of mundane tasks.

It’s a good thing that we habitually brush our teeth, take a shower, lock the front door without thinking much about it, and know how to get to work in the morning while mentally going over our to-do list. Habits can save a lot of time and energy.

The problem is … we form bad habits along with good ones. It’s a bad habit to constantly criticize others, to yell when things don’t go our way, to give others the silent treatment, or to buy everything that catches our eye. It’s also a bad habit to be lazy and avoid every bit of extra work we can.

And Scripture tells us that we are to put off the habits that come from our sinful nature and put on new habits that will help us to become more like Christ (Eph. 4.22-24).

But what about the claim that low self-esteem could be the cause?

Is It a Self-Esteem Issue?

Self-esteem is a big subject, one that I’m not going to spend much time on today. But let me just say that self-esteem is not promoted in the Bible. In fact, the opposite is true. As believers, we aren’t to focus on our inadequacies (low self-esteem) nor should we have a puffed-up view of ourselves (high self-esteem). Both can become an excessive focus on self.

Rather we are to see ourselves as God sees us, with strengths and weaknesses, creatures made in His image, creatures in constant need of contemplating Christ and praying for His help to become more like His Son, creatures that while fallen, are redeemable and capable of growing and changing. And, instead of focusing on ourselves and learning to esteem ourselves, we are to esteem God and others (Phil. 2.3-4).

A Lack of Positive Recognition?

What about the idea that laziness stems from a lack of positive recognition from others?

It goes without saying that God has called us to be encouragers. We should build one another up in the faith, but it’s a dangerous habit to be dependent on the encouragement of others. The Bible calls it the “fear of man.”

The “fear of man” goes by names like peer pressure, people-pleasing, and co-dependency. It’s being more dependent on what people think and do rather than what God thinks. It’s trying to get from others what only God can provide. That makes it a form of idolatry.

Proverbs 29.25 says:

The fear of man brings a snare, but he who trusts in the Lord will be exalted.

So, as believers in Christ, if we find ourselves constantly looking for the approval of others, we should repent and seek God’s forgiveness for our dependence on people and cultivate the habit of pleasing God with our thoughts, words, actions, and ultimately, our habits.

The Cost of Laziness

Proverbs 12.27 says a lazy man does not even roast his own prey. He has hunted for it, but now he won’t finish the job, by cleaning and cooking it.

In modern terms, we might say that lazy people may be forced to work, but are wasteful with their earnings, spending them on things like fast food, entertainment, and pleasure, instead of using their resources wisely.

Proverbs 19.15 says laziness casts into a deep sleep. It makes a person increasingly more lethargic and steals any sense of accomplishment. The result is hunger and lack.

Jesus called the lazy man in Matthew 25 wicked (Matt 25.26). Laziness is displeasing to the Lord. It hinders our prayer life and our relationship with Him, and ultimately, our testimony.

The cost of laziness is often our financial well-being and the confidence that our needs will be met. It’s the loss of joy in a job well done. And ultimately, it’s the loss of our peace with God and the spiritual well-being that goes with it.

So, how can we overcome laziness?

New Habits

Just as laziness grows out of our habitual choices, the opposite is also true. We can make different choices that can lead to new habits. Those new habits can lead to a more productive, God-pleasing life one choice at a time (Eph. 4.22-24).

If we recognize laziness as an issue with which we struggle, we should seek God’s forgiveness and ask Him to give us His desires and help us fulfill our responsibilities and become more productive.

For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him (Phil. 2.10 NLT).

It’s, also, important to keep our priorities right. We should set aside time to read God’s Word and pray. Morning is the best time for most people. Even 15-20 minutes a day can make a huge difference.

We can look for accountability, either from our spouse or someone else. We might let them know what we plan to accomplish that day. Although the goal should be to do things out of a desire to please God, sometimes just knowing someone else is aware can give us the added motivation we need to get started. 

Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him (2 Cor. 5.9).

Practical Helps

Making a list of two or three things that need to get done can be a help but avoid making lists so long that they’re impossible to complete. Review your list at the end of the day. Put any undone items on the next day’s list and add new ones.

See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil (Eph. 5.15-16).

Don’t procrastinate. This is one of my biggest downfalls and I have to work against it all the time. Years ago I read a poster that said, “Eat a live toad every morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.” I love that image and it reminds me to do the thing I least want to do first whenever possible. The rest of the day goes much easier.

Finally, take a day off to rest, refresh, and focus on God. Build Sabbath time into your schedule. Genuine rest is not laziness. It is part of a godly Christian life.

Remember the Gospel

But there is one trap we need to avoid. We should never think that we earn anything with God by doing better in this area. If you’re His child, there is nothing for you to earn. Jesus Christ has already done it all. That’s the essence of the gospel. And He doesn’t love us less because we fall short in this or any area. In fact, we will fall short.

But He loves us because we are His. Anything we do, we should do out of our love and gratitude for all that God has done for us not out of a sense of needing to earn our righteousness. If that was possible, Jesus would never have had to suffer and die as he did. 

So, before you make a list or grit your teeth and determine to do better, determine to trust Him with your day. Thank Him for His love for you. Thank Him that all your failings, all your sins have already been nailed to the cross. Pray for His help and His desires and let your obedience be love-driven and not works-driven. 

What About You?

How has God helped you in these areas? What habits have you developed to avoid falling into laziness?

For me, it’s making a realistic list of things to do and not beating myself up when I barely make a dent in it, getting up early most days and giving myself grace when I need a little more sleep, purposing to do the least appealing things first, and seeking God’s help to not procrastinate and in other areas where I struggle.

Today’s Other Readings:

2 Kings 3 & 4:

Child Sacrifice

In chapter 3, speaking about the king of Moab, we read this shocking statement:

²⁶ And when the king of Moab saw that the battle was too fierce for him, he took with him seven hundred men who drew swords, to break through to the king of Edom, but they could not. ²⁷ Then he took his eldest son who would have reigned in his place, and offered him as a burnt offering upon the wall … (vv. 26-27).

That seems almost unimaginable! He sacrificed his son in an attempt to appease his god and secure help on the battlefield.

In modern times, we have probably all read shocking headlines about fathers, and even mothers, who have murdered their own children through abuse, a desire to be free from responsibilities or to punish the other parent. Our responses, understandably, are revulsion, condemnation, and an expectation that they will be punished for what they did.

Death & the Devil

John quoting Jesus said:

The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly (Jn. 10.10).

The devil has always sought to destroy what God loves. 

Pagan religions frequently involve human sacrifices and behaviors that result in sickness, death, and destruction. It may come by Jihad, genocide, or some form of human sacrifice. It can also be the result of practices like those in Hinduism that lead to sickness and starvation among its adherents or the glorification of suicide bombings as we see today among some radical Islamists.

A Culture of Death

But while the devil may seem less obvious in developed countries like ours, is it possible that ours has become a culture of death, too?

Hundreds of thousands of children are being sacrificed in our nation every year. The CDC says there were 620,327 abortions nationally in 2020. But statistics are hard to pin down and do not include medication abortions.

Children are sacrificed to their parents’ gods of drugs and alcohol, sexual immorality, and convenience. They are sacrificed to the abortion industry’s gods of personal gain and politicians’ gods of power and influence, even when a woman does so out of fear or intimidation.

Those gods demand loyalty. Adherents testify to that loyalty almost daily on our TV screens, at political rallies, and in the public square.

Of course, the devil is never satisfied. When we decide to accept the idea of legalized death on the front end of life, it won’t be long before we justify legalizing it on the other end of life and everywhere in between.

The Answer

But the answer is not more anger, shouting, and personal attacks from our side of the issue. The answer, just as it is for violence and racism, is changed hearts. The answer is our involvement in whatever ways possible with organizations that seek to be the hands and feet of Jesus to mothers and fathers who are lost and desperate.

May we pray for God’s help to be salt and light, for boldness to share the Gospel, and for God to do what only He can do in the hearts of those lost and in darkness, even those who are directly involved in the abortion industry.

Pray that:

God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will (from 2 Tim. 2.25-26).

Psalm 71.17-24:

Declare His Wondrous Works

When others attack you, instead of defending yourself, keep your eyes on Him. Verses 17-18:

O God, You have taught me from my youth;
And to this day I declare Your wondrous works.
Now also when I am old and grayheaded,
O God, do not forsake me,
Until I declare Your strength to this generation,
Your power to everyone who is to come.

Whether we are young or old we are to be about our Father’s business—declaring His wondrous works and His strength and power to those around us and to the next generation!

John 17.1-26:

The Lord’s Prayer for Us

Here in this chapter, Jesus prayed for his disciples and for those of us who would come to saving faith through the teachings of Scripture, “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word …”

Closing Thoughts:

Go back and study John 17. Meditate on His prayer for us—for you. Among other things, He prayed that we would have the joy of the Lord, that we would be sanctified and set apart for Himself, that we would be one in Christ, and that we would behold His glory!

Coming Up:

In the coming days, we’ll talk about the importance of godly friends, living based on the hope that is within us, family feuds, spiritual ditches, and finding hope when the pressure seems too much. We will also talk about how to respond to criticism and how to tell if our Christianity is just a veneer.

I hope you’ll sign up so you don’t miss any of them. You might also like to check out our YouTube channel.

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Blessings as you grow in Christ,
Donna ♥

Note about this post:

I began blogging through the Bible in 2012 and have done so every year since then. These posts are the product of many edits and additions throughout those years. Some days I make major changes, other days fewer. 

A while ago, I read Jen Wilkin’s book None Like Him about the attributes of God. One is His incomprehensibility. In it, she says, “God is incomprehensible. This does not mean that he is unknowable, but that he is unable to be fully known.”

I have found that to be true each year as I’ve gone back through the Bible. Sometimes I find myself feeling as if a passage just appeared there for the first time. I’m reminded that no matter how many times we read through the Bible, we have only scratched the surface. I hope you feel the same.

Indeed these are the mere edges of His ways,
And how small a whisper we hear of Him!
But the thunder of His power who can understand?” (Job 26.14)

I sometimes LINKUP with these blogs.