Looking for Lazy
Proverbs 26:13-16 NKJV
13 The lazy man says, “There is a lion in the road!
A fierce lion is in the streets!”
14 As a door turns on its hinges,
So does the lazy man on his bed.
15 The lazy man buries his hand in the bowl;
It wearies him to bring it back to his mouth.
16 The lazy man is wiser in his own eyes
Than seven men who can answer sensibly.
Proverbs does not go easy on the fool, the lazy, the gossip, and the liar. Chapter twenty-six pulls no punches. You know the meaning of that adage. When you pull punches, you are not hitting with full force. This chapter is full force.
The title "Looking for Lazy" could also use the addendum "And Not Be Lazy."
Proverbs was written to instruct us. So we want to be able to identify what lazy looks like so we can, first of all, eliminate it in our own lives. And here we go.
The lazy make excuses. The reason they are not going outside and doing anything is the excuse that there is a fierce lion in the streets. Right? Not likely. When you begin to hear excuses, and particularly outlandish excuses, you need to start looking for lazy.
The lazy are inactive. I am not talking about taking a nap. I am talking about constantly staying in a position of inactivity. A door turning on its hinges is not going anywhere and not making any progress. When you find someone who is resting all the time, start looking for lazy.
The lazy will not do what it takes to better themselves. Too tired to feed himself by burying his hand in the bucket of chicken, but never bringing it to his mouth, is lazy on steroids. But here is a spiritual application. Too tired to feed yourself spiritually? Too busy to dig into God's Word? Is it too busy or too lazy? Way too often, we have met with people and given them some steps to better the situation they are in, only to find out that they are unwilling to put in the effort. Chances are, all of us have been here at some point, but this is not where we want to stay. Lazy will not feed themselves.
Lazy has all the answers. But the wisdom is only from their perspective. But because lazy is not putting in the effort to gain wisdom, their attempts at wisdom are tainted. Even when wise counsel comes to the lazy, it does not count. Lazy justifies actions and intentions in their own mind. When looking for lazy, look for the one no one can talk to.
These are just a few of the markers to look for when looking for lazy. We need to note the ones that mark us and make the adjustments. And we can do that because we are not lazy!