Proverbs 13:4 – “The soul of the lazy man desires, and has nothing; but the soul of the diligent shall be made rich.”
The lazy man desires what hard working people want: house, food, vacations, money for college and retirement. But the lazy man’s desires remain unsatisfied, while the diligent gain wealth.
It is impolite today to describe people as lazy, let alone suggest that laziness will lead to poverty, but that is how Proverbs mainly sees the world. Solomon knows that oppression, ill health, and lack of opportunity play a part in some having little, and there are plenty of ill-gotten gains. But the main issue in desiring and having versus desiring and not having is hard work versus laziness. It is condescending and dehumanizing to hide that fact from the poor.
Laziness in Solomon’s day described farmers who made excuses for not working their fields. “He who watches the wind will never sow, and he who looks at the clouds will not reap (Ecclesiastes 11:4).” Any excuse will do. The lazy man says, “there is a lion in the street (Proverbs 26:13).” Laziness today shows itself especially in laziness of mind. With regard to “word problems,” the attitude of my Algebra students was, “I’ll do 50 practice problems, I’ll do 100, but please, Mr. Edgar, oh please, don’t make me do word problems and have to think.” The sluggard starts a job, but won’t finish. He works only in spurts when he feels like it. He may not bother to get along with co-workers, another kind of laziness. Some just don’t go to work regularly. And amazingly, “The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who can answer sensibly (Proverbs 26:16).”
There is an academic cottage industry devoted to explaining (and excusing) people who are lazy: they live in a society where people like them have not been rewarded for their work in the past; their “social capital” is low; they have other “values” than those of the wider society. The explainers’ big mistake is thinking that laziness needs explaining, but laziness is quite normal. Laziness has characterized many civilizations, for example, those who where masters made slaves do the work. Perhaps that is why the Church in the slave-based Roman Empire constantly taught the virtue of hard work. Here is Paul talking to the Ephesian elders: “You yourselves know that these hands have ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me. In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:34-35).’” Diligence, not laziness, is what needs explaining.
Deep down the lazy man rebels against God’s curse on work. We labor by the sweat of our brow, weeds always interfering, work rarely “fulfilling,” often drudgery. Work is work! But he who submits to its demands will generally see his desires fulfilled, as the proverb teaches. Not so for the lazy man.
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Dr. Bill Edgar, former chair of the Geneva College Board of Trustees, Former Geneva College President and longtime pastor in the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America (RPCNA)
Opinions expressed in the Geneva Blog are those of its contributors and do not necessarily represent the opinions or official position of the College. The Geneva Blog is a place for faculty and contributing writers to express points of view, academic insights, and contribute to national conversations to spark thought, conversation, and the pursuit of truth, in line with our philosophy as a Christian, liberal arts institution.
Jul 2, 2018
Faithful Doubt: Habakkuk, written by pastor Travis Scott, explores the short prophetic book of Habakkuk, in a practical and meaningful way through the lens of a doubter. Travis approaches the passage of scripture from an honest and humble perspective, recalling difficulties experienced as a husband, father, and pastor.
Dr. J. Ligon Duncan of Reformed Theological Seminary delivered the spring 2021 Commencement address at Geneva College on May 10, 2021. Here is an excerpt of that message, entitled, "Every Good Work," from 2 Timothy 3. This excerpt first appeared in the Summer 2021 edition of Geneva Magazine.
When the Bible teaches one thing and your “instincts,” as it were, disagree, whose wisdom do you trust, your own or God’s? Do we really need to be told not to trust in our own minds? Yes, because we want to trust ourselves, and because in our day putatively wise people constantly tell us that high self-esteem brings success.
When the Bible teaches one thing and your “instincts,” as it were, disagree, whose wisdom do you trust, your own or God’s? Do we really need to be told not to trust in our own minds? Yes, because we want to trust ourselves, and because in our day putatively wise people constantly tell us that high self-esteem brings success.
As busy as college students are, it can be profoundly beneficial for them to seek out and engage in a routine Bible study. Diving deeper into their faith, exploring what the world’s challenges mean to them, and creating a Christian-based path forward can give any college student the direction he or she needs to achieve their best life. Still, it’s not always easy to make that decision—instead of a night with friends or yet another study session for a high-level math class, go to Bible study instead.
Handing our cares and worries over to God gives us peace which keeps us from falling into doubt, as stated in Philippians. "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."
What should someone with wealth do? Solomon writes, “Pay attention to it and know its condition.” He uses the example of sheep and goats. Wise parents blessed with wealth will teach their children how to work to maintain it. Wise children will accept the burdens of responsibility that go with family wealth, always remembering that riches do not last forever.
The Book of Proverbs has no use for the gullible, viewing them as willful fools. Even when everyone else can see a hateful, deceitful person for what he is, the gullible choose to believe gracious words.
At Easter, a good question to ask is, "How are people saved?" This should be a question that Christians can easily answer, and indeed most can. However, sometimes Christians are less knowledgeable about the doctrine of justification and its important distinctions than perhaps they should be.
How should leaders deal with difficult situations in difficult times? Geneva College’s John Gallo and Jenna Bieber provide a guidebook for leaders. "Lessons from Cain and Abel to Guide Leaders Through Turbulent Times" walks readers through the account of Cain and Abel to teach leaders the importance of justice, mercy, harmony and equality.
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