The 7 Deadly Sins Part 7: Sloth
When you think of sloth what comes to mind? Maybe you think of a lazy individual, a couch potato, or even the fuzzy two or three toed tree sloth. Well, all of these are a part of what being slothful is about. But being a sloth or slothful can mean more than this.
Let’s start by getting a definition for the word sloth and slothful from the Strong’s Concordance and dictionary.com:
Strong's Number
H6101
Original Word
עצל
Transliterated Word
‛âtsal
Phonetic Spelling
aw-tsal'
Parts of Speech
Verb
Strong's Definition
A primitive root; to lean {idly} that {is} to be indolent or slack: - be slothful.
Strong's Number
H7423
Original Word
רמיּה
Transliterated Word
remîyâh
Phonetic Spelling
rem-ee-yaw'
Parts of Speech
Noun Feminine
Strong's Definition
From H7411; {remissness} treachery: - deceit ({-ful} {-fully}) {false} {guile} {idle} {slack} slothful.
reluctance to work or exert oneself
Now, we have some good words here used to break down what being a sloth or slothful means. We get lean because one may be left in limbo leaning from one side to the other, not concrete in where they stand on a matter. Or simply leaning idly by and not working when they should. Which can also lead to one being indolent. Meaning you refuse to exert yourself. You don’t want to push past any limits or exert any force or pressure. I would rather be inactive or do something that causes little to no pain. I may even slack in an area becoming negligent or careless, even slow or inactive. Which can lead to one being false or deceitful. You appear to be working but if someone examines your work, it’s not being done at all or you are making little to no progress. To the point that this may even become habitual. Now it is a characteristic of yours and people can notice it about you. But with that being said and understood, let us dive into the scriptures to take our understanding to the next level.
Judges 18:9 KJV
And they said, Arise, that we may go up against them: for we have seen the land, and, behold, it is very good: and are ye still? be not slothful to go, and to enter to possess the land.
Israel was in the early stages of establishing itself as an independent nation. And one of the things needed on the list was land. But The Most High already had the land that we needed. Which was rightfully ours, as he had given it to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. But while we were in bondage in Egypt, other nations had came into our land and taken it for themselves. But when some of our people noticed both the size and number of the inhabitants of the land we tarried, we became reluctant. Which was seen as an aspect of slothfulness. You’re dragging your feet or procrastinating because you do not want to deal with the situation. Putting some things off until you feel like it or indefinitely. Dragging it out for as long as possible.
Sirach 37:11 KJVA
Neither consult with a woman touching her of whom she is jealous; neither with a coward in matters of war; nor with a merchant concerning exchange; nor with a buyer of selling; nor with an envious man of thankfulness; nor with an unmerciful man touching kindness; nor with the slothful for any work; nor with an hireling for a year of finishing work; nor with an idle servant of much business: hearken not unto these in any matter of counsel.
Here we receive counsel concerning different people coming from different scenarios and walks of life. We understand based on the scriptures, that we should not seek these people out for counsel, seeing the situation is a conflict of interest. If I am trying to sell something and I go to someone who purchases merchandise, it is a conflict of interests because where I am looking to sell they are trying to buy. Therefore, they are inclined to give me an answer that works best in their interest and not in mine.
Again, if I have someone who I know is slothful why would I consult with them about any work? I have to have enough wisdom and sense, as to what they will probably say when I ask them, or even do if we begin the labor. Either way, it either won’t get done or it will take forever to happen.
The same with an idle servant. If I start talking about all the work I am trying to do, I more than likely already scared them off. They have mentally disconnected, even if they are listening to me talk the whole time. They are looking like, “dang, he trying to tear this down, build this over here and then put this up, redo that, move this. That is going to take a long time and you still gotta do this over here and that’s a lot of detailed work. Man. I’m just going to tell him it look good how it is.” They will always come back to any reasoning that gets them out of the work they are trying to do.
Proverbs 19:24 KJV
A slothful man hideth his hand in his bosom, and will not so much as bring it to his mouth again.
A slothful man will be one who when it is time to work; mentally, physically or spiritually, they will hide their hands. Your hands is what you need to do the work. So they will find a reason, no, an excuse, as to why they can’t work. And even if they do have to work, they will find a way, if not an excuse, as to why they cannot do it again. I am hoping this one time is it. But dang, they need me to do it again. Or they told someone else and now that person is asking me. I am sure you know someone like that or have done that yourself with some task.
Proverbs 22:13 KJV
The slothful man saith, There is a lion without, I shall be slain in the streets.
Even when it comes down to a threat or obstacle. You may identify it, yet, you won’t do anything about it. You may not do this with a lion today but you will do this with a spider or some other creature. You go tell someone else there is a spider on the wall, I might get bit. I will tell you as I tell the females of my home…Kill it. You saw it, you kill it. If it’s out of your reach I will do it. But that is within your power.
You have to deal with the crisis in front of you. Need you be man, woman or child. And if you can’t do it alone, you get help. So together, we can overcome this obstacle, so we do not succumb to the danger, obstacle or hazard, that is in front of us. No matter how daunting it is. It doesn’t matter if it is a big problem, like my lights about to get cut off, or gas, or me about to get evicted. I have to face this challenge and make the necessary adjustments to overcome it. Let me get a job. Let me look for another job. Well, maybe it is time to move, or even relocate. Be as pilgrims, but move in faith and not fear.
Sirach 22:1-2 KJVA
A slothful man is compared to a filthy stone, and every one will hiss him out to his disgrace. 2 A slothful man is compared to the filth of a dunghill: every man that takes it up will shake his hand.
One that is slothful is likened to a filthy stone. Have you ever seen a dirty rock? Or picked up a rock that looked clean but found out the other side was exceedingly dirty? What do you do with the rock? You usually drop it or throw it and talk about how dirty it was. “Eww, what the heck. Ugh.” Same with a dung hill. If you ever accidentally stepped on, let alone touched some boo-boo, all you want to do is shake it off first and then wash it off. The scriptures are letting us know that the same is true for a slothful individual. It’s like okay, I just wanna go about my business and get this done. If it’s not going to help me, I need to go so I can get something that can.
Proverbs 24:30-34 KJVS
I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding; [31] And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down. [32] Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction. [33] Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: [34] So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth; and thy want as an armed man.
You can learn watching someone else. Observing them overtime. In this case, this man watched the vineyard or garden of someone who was slothful. And noticed it had fallen apart. The fence was all raggedy. The stone wall was all beat up and partly knocked over with bricks missing. Thorns and briers covered their garden, to the extent that you couldn’t even see the good fruit. That is, if it was even planted to begin with.
He had to look and think about this for a minute. Yet, when he did, he received instruction. What all causes this and how can I ensure it doesn’t happen to me. And one of the key things is. You can’t be a couch potato. You can’t sleep in all day everyday. You sleeping nine to twelve hours or more a day. Not because your dog tired but because you love to sleep. So you sleep in and may even take naps throughout the day. Especially, in that time when our people were more self sufficient. We had land and homes. So we owned it. Furthermore, we didn’t have grocery stores to just go pick up whatever we needed and wanted. So the majority of your produce and needs were met through what you produced. If my garden isn’t together, I am not going to be eating too good because I’m not putting in the work to produce the crops, or rather, groceries, that I need to sustain myself. And if I stay in this state, I will become poor and may even have to beg others for food. This is something that even hurts Israelite businesses today. You start a business or company but you are not willing, or you drag your feet when it comes down to you doing many of the things needed, even essential to making that business prosper. Some, even when it’s detrimental, just let the wheels fall off. I don’t put in the extra work. So the business fails, or just never gets off the ground because I was slothful.
Proverbs 19:15 KJV
Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall suffer hunger.
If you stay in a slothful spirit, it can take over you slowly but surely. And it becomes infectious. It can start anywhere but it’s like weeds; they start growing and getting everywhere. What started as, “I will do it later” turned into “it never got done”. What started with me ducking and dodging extra chores, now I duck and dodge essential chores. Dishes pile up, clothes pile up, yard work piles up. I don’t want to do it… So I don’t. I just keep telling myself, eventually I will get to it. Now that turns into spouses reminding each other to keep doing work that they keep putting off. You get mad when your spouse reminds you, yet, you never prioritize doing it. Or you make an attempt to start but not finish. Never satisfied because the work because it is never done. Therefore, always hungry always wanting the work to be done, so you can be fed and full and no longer have the desire for it to be done.
This is all a product of the slothful spirit. It can put you in a deep sleep; literally. But usually it does so spiritually, mentally and physically. To the point that you became a slothful individual. Now you don’t play with your kids, you don’t cook meals, let alone healthy ones, you don’t workout or exercise, let alone go to the gym. Everything decreases until it becomes virtually nonexistent in your life. Slothfulness can cause all of these imbalances.
Proverbs 18:9 KJV
He also that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster.
If you are slothful in anything you seek to do, you can become likened to and close to one, who is a great waster. You can waste both time and resources. Some things are time sensitive but even when they are not, that time could have been used to take care of several tasks, yet you managed to only do one, if that.
Proverbs 12:27 KJV
The slothful man roasteth not that which he took in hunting: but the substance of a diligent man is precious.
If one is literally a hunter, and they take the time to go out into the forest or woods. Then take the time to setup all their gear, lay traps, ambush their prey, and even manage to take down what they were hunting. Does it make sense to do all this preparation and work, only to leave the deer, antelope or similar creature there? Like, you didn’t even accomplish the mission. Like watching an hour of a movie and never coming back to watch the last thirty minutes even if it was a good movie. Or playing a game for an hour only to never save any progress. Or going to the grocery store and leaving all of the groceries in the car for hours. Or making a meal only to leave the left overs out all day and all night. Slothfulness will have you ruining your efforts, wasting your time and money and now you must spend again, what was already spent or redo what you already did. Doubling your efforts. Which doesn’t make any sense for a slothful individual, when they probably didn’t want to do the work in the first place! Now they have to do it again!
Ecclesiastes 10:18 KJV
By much slothfulness the building decayeth; and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through.
Slothfulness can build and cause something that should be well maintained to decay, rot, or fall apart. Or as we would see it…become messy or unorganized. Things fall through if we just sit on them. You need to organize time and place to prioritize these things. What day this week, or what day out of the month, will you make to clean the bathroom? Or the kitchen? Or anything in your home. Making and setting aside time for things helps ensure they get done and that they are not too overwhelming.
Proverbs 12:24 KJVS
The hand of the diligent shall bear rule: but the slothful shall be under tribute.
We are faced with two opposing outcomes. A diligent individual, overtime will rise to greatness, they will be a leader at some level. But a slothful individual won’t do the things needed to excel in the same way. Therefore they will be at the bottom on the company, group, or business. They will have to pay more out of pocket for not handling business.
Proverbs 15:19 KJV
The way of the slothful man is as an hedge of thorns: but the way of the righteous is made plain.
The way, meaning the path of the slothful, is like a wall of thorns. You not going down that path with ease or without hurting yourself in the process. But being slothful can reach a point that it becomes wicked. And wickedness can be slothfulness. The righteous make their way plain and easy by conforming to the standard. It’s an easier road. Take something complex but yet so simple, like marriage. If I choose to commit adultery. From the time I start on that path to the time I leave off, I am in fear, hyper vigilance, guilt, or anxiety. I have to hide my phone, change passwords to accounts, all this extra work I have to do to stay hidden, so my significant other doesn’t know. It’s a lot of work. All to ultimately get caught at some point in time (most of the time) anyway. It would have been way easier to stay faithful or simply take your time and find what you are truly looking for. But you don’t want to do that, it would take too long. Lack of patience and willingness to fast, pray, and look diligently, can lead to a situation you regret. Even baby momma and baby daddy drama. It’s easier and less stressful to do the right thing at all times.
Romans 12:11 KJVS
Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;
Being slothful isn’t an attribute of the Holy Spirit. You do not want to be slothful in any business. You want to take care of business. Especially, anything you are doing for The Most High. Set realistic standards and expectations, make the adjustments and knock out the task.
Proverbs 21:25 KJV
The desire of the slothful killeth him; for his hands refuse to labour.
The desire of the slothful is the beginning of their downfall. You want these things but you won’t take the time to do the labor. And even if you have the time you don’t feel like it. So you simply won’t do it. Even if you get the motivation, you lack the drive and determination; you lack the discipline.
Proverbs 13:4 KJV
The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.
The slothful individual desires but for all of their desire, they have nothing to show for it, no results. Because they don’t do the work. But a diligent individual will produce the results they are looking for. They understand motivation only gets you so far. You can have a motive but do you have the discipline to continue to push, even when you don’t feel motivated to do so? The slothful stop, where the diligent push through. The only question is, which one are you?
Psalm 119:4 KJV
Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently.
