Proverbs 21:25-26 -- The desire of the sluggard kills him, for his hands refuse to labor: All day long he craves and craves, but the righteous gives and does not hold back.
Are you a giver or a taker? “It is more blessed to give than to receive,” Jesus said (Acts 20:35). The righteous do not hold back when they see need. They give. Paul urges such righteousness even on former thieves. “Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give to him who has need (Ephesians 4:28).”
The lazy man fears to give because he has no source of getting, since he won’t work. He lives in an alternate world of wishing, where he gets what he wants without work. But desire combined with laziness kills the spirit, leaving a person imprisoned in covetousness. So the sluggard sullenly keeps what he has because his hands refuse to labor. Meanwhile, he eats his heart out with unsatisfied desire. While he craves and craves all day long for what he desires but won’t work for, he certainly won’t give to others.
Why do Solomon’s proverbs offer so many descriptions of lazy people? Lazy people rarely recognize their laziness for what it is. Instead, full of explanations and excuses, they often look for someone else to blame. A student I had never did his homework, so one Monday I asked him why. “I guess I’m just not motivated to do Algebra,” he explained, not so subtly suggesting that it was my fault for not motivating him. I replied, “You mean you’re lazy.” Indignantly, he said, “I’m not lazy. If there’s something I really want to do, I do it.” I said, “That’s the very definition of lazy. You only do what you want to do, not the things you have to do.” He glared at me the rest of the week, but on Friday he came in with the week’s homework done, slammed it on my desk, and said, “See, I’m not lazy.” But he was lazy, since two weeks later, again no homework.
These proverbs about the sluggard help the wise see the sluggard’s excuses for what they are – excuses. They also give the lazy person a chance to recognize what he is, a sluggard. Solomon’s proverbs show the lazy from one angle after another, holding a mirror up to him and saying, “See? This is you!” In this way, these many proverbs give the lazy person a chance to repent, start working, and become a giver who does not hold back.
Jesus gave Himself for us, a worker of righteousness for workers of no righteousness, and He did not spare or hold back anything. Praise be to God we have such a generous friend.
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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)
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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.
Nov 2, 2020
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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