About to open wide, with the drill lowering toward his mouth, a man humorously pleaded with his dentist, “Careful, doc. I can stand anything but pain.”
By nature, every one of us is inclined to take the path of least resistance. The dentist usually injects us with Novocain to keep us from feeling any pain. We do not like the injection needle because of its momentary sting. We look for easy exercise programs that are perspiration free and tireless. Students shortcut their assigned reading by reviewing study notes.
And diets? There always seems to be a new fad for shedding weight without hunger or exercise. Liquid diets, banana diets, grapefruit diets, carbohydrate diets, protein diets.… The list goes on and on.
When it comes right down to it, we do not like hard work. Areas that we recognize are in our best interest, such as with exercise, diet, and study, are avoided even though we know they will help us.
For most of us, the irresponsibility is merely occasional, cropping up only when a particularly hard chore stands before us. Others, though, are chronically irresponsible, rarely doing more than enough to get by at work, frequently arriving late for appointments, or so disorderly that their houses are a perpetual mess. Filled with lethargy and indifference, they go through life earning a reputation for being undependable. They have grown used to accomplishing little.
Does any of this describe you? Are you troubled in your conscience about your indolence, negligence, tardiness, apathy, or passivity? Are you aware that you only fulfill your responsibilities when it is clear that there is something in it for you? Our Lord would not have you so live.
I (Bill) have been inspired since my early Christian years by something the evangelist D. L. Moody said: “The world has yet to see what God can do with a man fully consecrated to Him.” Sticking close to God, working hard to fulfill His will for me in every facet of life—that is what I have strived to do, not for my own glory, but for God’s.
To what degree I have succeeded in my objective is for God to judge. But I can testify that a life of working hard at one’s pursuits is a glorious adventure when it is done in tune with God’s Spirit. It is the way we are meant to live.
If you have a sin habit of irresponsibility, it is not too late to seek the Lord’s help for change. You can become a responsible and hardworking member of His kingdom if you will face up to your problem and seek to heal this area of your life according to His principles.
Let us begin our exploration of the sins of irresponsibility with laziness. No other sin in this family is so frequently addressed or so roundly criticized in Scripture. “Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically” (Romans 12:11).
A Lesson From the Ants
The book of Proverbs is about how to live skillfully, from a godly perspective. Given the frequency with which laziness is condemned in this book of the Bible, it is easy to see that sloth can have no place in a well-lived life. What can we learn about the causes and costs of laziness from the book of Proverbs?
1. In the worst cases, laziness can reach ridiculous proportions.
Lazy people don’t even cook the game they catch, but the diligent make use of everything they find. —Proverbs 12:27
Lazy people take food in their hand but don’t even lift it to their mouth. —Proverbs 19:24
2. Laziness is on a par with other serious sins.
A lazy person is as bad as someone who destroys things.
—Proverbs 18:9
3. Lazy people sleep too much.
As a door swings back and forth on its hinges, so the lazy person turns over in bed. —Proverbs 26:14
(If you were not already convinced that the Bible has a sense of humor, this image should help to change you mind.)
4. The lazy make excuses for their laziness.
The lazy person claims, “There’s a lion on the road! Yes, I’m sure there’s a lion out there!” —Proverbs 26:13
(Now are you convinced that the Bible can be funny?)
5. The lazy delude themselves.
Lazy people consider themselves smarter than seven wise counselors. —Proverbs 26:13–16
(If they are that smart, why aren’t they, instead of others, serving as trusted counselors to the mighty? If they were half as smart as they think they are, they would know better than to be so lazy.)
6. The lazy grow unhappy because they have wants but do not have the willingness to work to fulfill those wants.
Lazy people want much but get little, but those who work hard will prosper. —Proverbs 13:4
Despite their desires, the lazy will come to ruin, for their hands refuse to work.—Proverbs 21:25
7. The lazy are unpopular, especially among those whom they let down.
Lazy people irritate their employers, like vinegar to the teeth or smoke in the eyes.—Proverbs
8. Laziness leads to poverty and to a menial position in society.
Lazy people are soon poor; hard workers get rich. —Proverbs 10:4
Work hard and become a leader; be lazy and become a slave. —Proverbs 12:24
Those too lazy to plow in the right season will have no food at the harvest. —Proverbs 20:4
9. The tendency of the lazy to oversleep is a key reason why they grow poor.
Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones. Learn from their ways and become wise! Though they have no prince or governor or ruler to make them work, they labor hard all summer, gathering food for the winter. But you, lazybones, how long will you sleep? When will you wake up? A little extra sleep, a little more slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest—then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit; scarcity will attack you like an armed robber. —Proverbs 6:6–11
Lazy people sleep soundly, but idleness leaves them hungry. —Proverbs 19:15
Too much sleep clothes them in rags.—Proverbs 23:21
10. Laziness actually makes life harder, not easier.
A lazy person’s way is blocked with briers, but the path of the upright is an open highway. —Proverbs 15:19
It seems, from all this, that the man or woman of God is expected to be diligent in all areas of life. We should be working hard at doing our jobs or studies, taking care of home chores, raising our children, serving in our churches and communities, and most importantly, cultivating our relationship with God through spiritual disciplines. One who is chronically lazy is a person with a serious sin habit.
Of course, while saying this, we do not mean to imply that taking it easy is always wrong. In fact, rest has its proper place in a well-lived life.
The Proper Place of Rest
The rhythm of labor and rest goes all the way back to the beginning, as the Creator Himself rested on the seventh day. That was the example God offered when instructing His nation Israel to set aside one day of the week as a day of rest.
Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the LORD your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you. For in six days the LORD made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day He rested. That is why the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy. —Exodus 20:8-11
Based on this and other observations in Scripture, we affirm the need for periodic rest. Obviously, since God made the human body, He knows we need regular times for rest and recuperation. We should obey the Bible and see that our body gets its required rest.
I (Bill) was raised on a ranch where we grew crops and raised cattle. We worked between ten and fifteen hours a day, six days a week. But as important as work was during the Depression years, we did not work on Sunday.
Today, Sabbath keeping is still vitally important to me. I instruct my associates who arrange my travel not to book a flight that will require me to travel on Sunday unless it is absolutely necessary. I ask them to help me avoid situations where I would go out to eat in restaurants on Sunday, because that would cause others to work.
So Henry and I recognize that Sabbath rest is important. But what we are talking about in this chapter are the other six days of the week. We are talking about people who are idle when they should be working. We want to say that getting too much rest is wrong.
According to Hebrews 4, we can all look forward to a time of ultimate rest in the eternal state. But that time is not yet. Paradoxically (or so it would seem), we are bid to “labour…to enter into that rest” (Hebrews 4:11 kjv). In this life we have much to do. Let us get on with it.
A Working Savior
The Bible is full of examples of men and women who labored diligently at their tasks. There was Jacob, who worked fourteen years for his two wives. There were Joseph and Daniel, two Israelites whose hard work and ability raised them to near the pinnacle of power in pagan nations. But if we are looking for a hard worker, we can find no better example than that of the carpenter turned rabbi, Jesus.
Let us consider a single day in the course of our Lord’s earthly ministry. (See Mark 1:21–39.)
One Saturday morning, Jesus attended a worship service at the synagogue in the village of Capernaum. There He gave the sermon and also expelled an evil spirit from one of the men attending the service. In the afternoon He visited the home of a pair of His disciples and healed a member of their family who was ill with a high fever. In the evening a crowd sought Him out, and “Jesus healed many people who were sick with various diseases, and he cast out many demons” (verse 34).
If we had such a day, we might want to sleep in. But did Jesus? No. Rather, “Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray” (verse 35). He would not let His outer (ministry) duties interfere with His inner (devotional) duties. His prayer time was interrupted by His disciples seeking Him out and saying, “Everyone is asking for you” (verse 37). And so the round of service to others began all over again.
Jesus expressed the divine attitude when He said on one occasion, “My Father is always working, and so am I” (John 5:17). Talk about a work ethic! This work ethic is passed down to us via the apostle Paul.
Sacred Work
Paul told his readers (including us), “You should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1). A part of that has to do with labor. Like Jesus, Paul was a hard worker.
Even though the apostle had a right to expect his converts to support him financially (1 Corinthians 9:3–19), he chose to support himself with a textile trade (Acts 18:3). And because of this practice, he was in a moral position to lecture some others who were idle.
Dear brothers and sisters, we give you this command in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ: Stay away from all believers who live idle lives and don’t follow the tradition they received from us. For you know that you ought to imitate us. We were not idle when we were with you. We never accepted food from anyone without paying for it. We worked hard day and night so we would not be a burden to any of you. We certainly had the right to ask you to feed us, but we wanted to give you an example to follow. Even while we were with you, we gave you this command: “Those unwilling to work will not get to eat.”
Yet we hear that some of you are living idle lives, refusing to work and meddling in other people’s business. We command such people and urge them in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and work to earn their own living. As for the rest of you, dear brothers and sisters, never get tired of doing good. —2 Thessalonians 3:6–13
“Settle down and get to work.” Is that a command you need to hear? Jesus set the example for hard work. Paul followed it. We must follow both of their examples.
Our work matters to God. It does not merely improve our economic position; it also has spiritual significance. As Henry David Thoreau said, “You cannot kill time without injury to eternity.”
But you may say, “You don’t know how dreary my job is. You don’t know the way my work around the house is overlooked by my spouse. You don’t know the difficult people I have to work with on that committee I volunteered for.”
True, we do not. But no one ever said work would always be easy or enjoyable, just that it is the right thing to do. The Bible, however, describes a change of perspective that can affect our attitude about our work. And it comes out of a context that was worse than anything any of us has to deal with.
Boss of Bosses
Slavery was widespread in the Roman world, and consequently many of the early Christians were slaves. No doubt Paul wanted all Christian slaves freed from their servitude, just as he did Onesimus.1 But since that was not possible, he instead helped them understand how they should act in their circumstances.
Were they to slack off whenever they got a chance, like most slaves, since someone else was unjustly reaping the benefits of their labor? No. Instead, Paul told the slaves, “Try to please them all the time, not just when they are watching you. As slaves of Christ, do the will of God with all your heart. Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people” (Ephesians 6:6–7).2
No matter how bad your job is, at least it is not slavery! But did you catch Paul’s change of perspective? It can be useful to us in our own situations. We are to do our work as if we were working for the Lord rather than for people. That enables us to be consistent, diligent, reliable—and even happy—in our work.
And do you know what is most amazing? We really are doing our work for the Lord. When we earn an honest paycheck for honest labor, when we take care of our children, when we cultivate our personal relationship with the Lord, or contribute to the life of our local church, we are doing it out of obedience to God because we know it is what He wants us to do. Our work is for Him.
It should go without saying that this means we should strive for excellence, not just to put in our time. The Lord deserves the best, and so the Bible says, “Whatever you do, do well” (Ecclesiastes 9:10). As Martin Luther King Jr. once preached, “If a man is called to be a streetsweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say: ‘Here lived a great streetsweeper who did his job well.’”
Work is worship, if we will see it as such.
The Undependable
Laziness may be the most common type, but not the only type, of irresponsibility.
Some people are irresponsible with time. They are habitually late for engagements, causing other people inconvenience as a result. Or they procrastinate, putting off doing what they know they ought to do.
Others are irresponsible with material objects. They borrow things from others and either forget to return them or else let them become damaged while in their possession. Or they may take poor care of their own possessions, letting their homes and workplaces get messy or rundown. They forget that “God is not a God of disorder but of peace” and that we are to “be sure that everything is done properly and in order” (1 Corinthians 14:33, 40).
Some people seem to be negligent, careless, and inconsistent in every area of life. Should you depend on them to fulfill what they promised? You had better not. Should you trust them to help you out if you are not keeping an eye on them? Certainly not.
What’s behind all this is usually an attitude problem, whether it goes by the name of apathy, boredom, or lethargy. Theologian J. I. Packer analyzed such attitudes when he said,
The world today is full of sufferers from the wasting disease that Albert Camus focused as absurdism (“life is a bad joke”), and from the complaint that we may call Marie Antoinette’s fever, since she founded the phrase that describes it (“nothing tastes”). These disorders blight the whole of life: everything becomes at once a problem and a bore, because nothing seems worthwhile.
But Packer also suggested the response to absurdism and Marie Antoinette’s fever:
What makes life worthwhile is having a big enough objective, something that catches our imagination and lays hold of our allegiance; and this the Christian has in a way that no other person has.3
What is the “big enough objective”? It is knowing God—a task that is like penetrating ever deeper into the interior of a land that is infinite in size and so accommodates an eternity of exploration. Do you sense that your life is a part of the great story God is writing in history? Do you understand that by obeying Him in your duties and relationships you are helping to build an everlasting kingdom?
With the right perspective, your attitude can change from apathy to enthusiasm. And your sin habit of irresponsibility can be replaced by the virtue of diligence.
Get Going!
Every year in January, health clubs around the country report a surge in membership. Can you guess why? It is because of the New Year’s resolutions people make to lose weight and become more fit.
But by the end of February, attendance at the clubs is back to normal. In weeks, or even just in days, most people have broken their resolution to exercise. They are sitting at home, eating a snack or watching TV, when they could be working out for the good of their bodies.
If you have an ongoing problem with some type of irresponsibility, what we are not asking of you is a New Year’s type of resolution to do better. We are not asking you to force yourself to do better on the job, at home, or wherever you tend to be irresponsible. If we asked this kind of self-effort from you, you would likely be no more successful than the people who show up at the gym with brand-new exercise clothes in January.
What we are asking of you is that you begin praying for help and committing yourself, in the grace of God, to fulfill the responsibilities He has laid on your heart. Seek the Lord, repent of your sin, and rely on the Spirit’s empowering. Only in this way will you be able to acquire the virtue of diligence—and keep it.
When ejection seats for jet fighters were first invented, the pilot was supposed to push a button, clear the plane, and then roll out of his seat so that his parachute could deploy. The problem was that, under the intense conditions of a high-speed ejection, most pilots would hold on to their seat like it was their last link with safety. Their parachutes, consequently, could not open.
What did jet designers do in response to this unexpected problem? They invented a device that would force ejected pilots out of their seats, enabling them to correctly operate their parachutes—where their real safety came from.
If a responsibility is lying before you and you are hesitating to do anything about it, what will it take for you to get out of your seat? Get help now. Begin the healing process by embodying the virtue of diligence in every responsibility the Lord gives you. It is a privilege to serve Him with all that lies within us.
Soul Prescription for Irresponsibility
Are you struggling with being irresponsible? We have outlined a five-step process to help you repent and heal in this area of your life. Take all the time you need with each of the steps below.
Step 1: Adopt a Correct View of God
A poor conception of God may well lie behind your problem with irresponsibility. For example, if you see God as an uncaring and detached deity, you will likely have the same attitude toward life. Are the following points ones you need to take to heart?
- God is absolutely concerned about every aspect of our lives.
What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? —Romans 8:31
- God uses His power on our behalf.
The eyes of the LORD search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him.
—2 Chronicles 16:9
In your Bible, read a sampling of some of the key events in salvation history, such as creation, the call of Abram, the exodus, and so on. Examine these events from the perspective of God’s activity in the world. Begin to develop a picture of God as a deity who is far from apathetic or irresponsible toward His creation.
Step 2: Revise Your False Beliefs
Irresponsibility is fed by erroneous beliefs about life and one’s place in it. How might your false views have helped to make you irresponsible? Ask yourself the following questions:
- Do you believe you cannot make any real changes in your world?
I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. —Philippians 4:13 - Do you believe that the needs of others are none of your concern?
Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, “Good–bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do? —James 2:15–16
Use a concordance to help you trace the themes of laziness and diligence through the Scriptures. Seek God’s help to correct your unbiblical views of life as they apply to irresponsibility.
Step 3: Repent of Your Sin
What type of irresponsibility is your downfall? Name it and disclaim it. Pray a simple prayer of repentance, and ask God to supernaturally motivate you into action.
God, I have been guilty of __________. I know it is sinful, and I am sorry for the way I have let You down. Forgive me now, I pray. Wash away the stain of this sin. Make me over into a person who uses Your power to reject irresponsibility and embrace a diligent lifestyle—one that pleases You. I ask these things in Christ’s name, amen.
If you have harmed others with your sin, apologize to them. Seek reconciliation and offer restitution where appropriate.
Step 4: Defend against Spiritual Attacks
Now that you have repented, watch out for demotivating spiritual attacks. They are certain to occur.
- In the world system, responsibility is not a high value in itself. The world would tell you to only do what you need to in order to get by—everything else is a waste. But God’s values in this area are quite different. He wants diligence to be a regular part of your nature. You can overcome the world by rejecting its values and embracing God’s values instead.
- Laziness and other types of irresponsibility are pleasurable to your flesh (sinful nature)—they are easy and comfortable. The flesh will desire to get that kind of pleasure back. But you must recall that your flesh is really dead now, because of Christ. You are a new person and are to obey the Spirit and not the flesh.
- The Devil is scheming to draw you back to your old ways of irresponsibility. Put on all the armor of God to defend against him (Ephesians 6:10–18). If you will resist the Devil in God’s power, you can defeat him.
The quickest way to become irresponsible in life again is to be irresponsible about defending against spiritual attacks. Such attacks will come, and you should be ready for them. But remember that God will be empowering you and helping you be successful every time.
Step 5: Flee Temptation
The best way to avoid being tempted to lie on the couch and watch the world go by is to just do something. Take these active steps to be a more active person.
- Focus on your relationship with God.
Begin your new, more disciplined life by maintaining your spiritual disciplines with God. He has something for you to do; ask Him what it is. - Latch on to God’s promises.
Find Bible verses that speak encouragement to you in your struggle against irresponsibility. Commit the verses to memory and use them when temptation arises. Here is one you may find valuable:
He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. —Isaiah 40:29 - Establish safeguards.
What inspires you to be irresponsible? Do whatever it takes to block such influences from your life. These are examples of the kinds of things you can do: - If you are lazy, make a “to do” list of the things you ought to accomplish.
- If you tend to procrastinate, create a calendar with all the deadlines for the things you are supposed to do.
- If you typically leave your bedroom a mess, set your alarm a few minutes earlier so you can straighten it up every morning.
- Ask a trusted Christian friend to hold you accountable in your commitment to not be irresponsible any longer.
• Expect victory.
The Holy Spirit will motivate you into action if you will yield your heart to Him. Trust Him to make you a diligent person. Look forward to the victory He will give.
Visit www.SoulPrescription.com for more insights and resources, and to download a free leader’s guide for small group Bible studies.