I haven’t written on this blog in a long while. In this instance, to define “long while” I’m talking about a couple of months. The main reason for this is because of how busy I have been. As I’ve talked about in a couple of the previous posts, I have a podcast I launched at the beginning of this year that I’ve been working on. Since my last post, I’ve also been tremendously busy at work, involved in the church, and have also preached a sermon. I’m not going to bore y’all with everything I’ve been doing, nor am I going to reveal some things I have that are upcoming in the next few months. But overall, if I were to give a description of the season of life that I’m in right now, I would say that it is a season in that I am very stretched thin. And weirdly enough, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

The reason that I wouldn’t have it any other way is because I understand that God is carrying me through a season of preparation. I have many goals that I would like to accomplish over the course of the next few months. But God has also led me to the understanding that those goals, although ultimately in His hands (see Proverbs 16:9), don’t permit me to be lazy, or like the book of Proverbs says throughout, a “Sluggard”.

What Is A Sluggard?

A sluggard is someone who is habitually lazy and/or inactive. This is different from rest, which can easily be confused with a sluggard. A sluggard will often procrastinate and avoid responsibilities, while one who is resting will use that time to reenergize to take on those responsibilities. There is a clear distinction between the two. Sluggard can be found 14 times in the book of Proverbs. Just by looking at that fact, we can get an idea of how God’s Word views laziness and some of the consequences that come with being a sluggard.

Now, what I’m not doing here is promoting overworking. It is important to get sufficient rest so you can do the work of the Lord energized and genuine. However, there will be seasons of your life where much will be required of you, and there will be others where God is calling you to wait on Him. I happen to be in one where (and I could be wrong) I feel God is calling me to do a lot. And although it is 100% God who brings results in all of our lives, I do think there is an aspect of work on our end that must be done as well. Not because God needs it, but because we do.

So with that all being said, God put this verse in my heart that has kind of been a theme verse for me over the past couple of weeks:

The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied. – Proverbs 13:4 (ESV)

This is just one of the many verses that include the word sluggard in it. There are numerous contexts for the use of the word throughout Proverbs, but for some reason, God kept leading me to this specific verse. I felt the Holy Spirit tugging at me to not only gloss over it but to really read it. And once I read it carefully, I could see how relevant it was in my life and how it can be for many others.

First off, to make things clear, I am not promoting a prosperity gospel here. This verse is not telling us that by working hard we will get everything that our heart desires. That’s probably the quickest way to be disappointed. This is why I like the ESV translation of this verse because like some of the other translations, and unlike others, it includes the word soul in the verse. In the Greek language, the word for soul is psyche, and it deals with the mind and emotions of a person. If your soul is not healthy, it could potentially lead to struggles in life from a mental and emotional standpoint.

By being a sluggard, your soul could be in a constant progression toward unhealthiness. The verse shows us that the problem isn’t necessarily the lack of desire from the sluggard, but more so that the sluggard craves, but gets nothing conducive to the progression of the soul due to the abundance of laziness and lack of work.

However, the verse shows us that the soul of the diligent is richly supplied. It is one thing to say you want or desire something. It is another thing to take the necessary steps to, at least, attempt to get it. Keep in mind, I am focused on the soul here, so I’m not talking about tangible things like money, cars, or other things like that. I’m talking about things like wisdom, applying the fruits of the spirit, etc. Although they are free gifts from God, I believe He also has the desire to build our character and is a promoter of allowing the Holy Spirit to be the driving force within us to give us the desire to work hard for Him.

This is why, as I stated earlier, I would have it no other way in my life because I understand that the work that I am currently being diligent in isn’t necessarily about accomplishing the goals that I have for myself. It is meant to build character within me so I can be prepared for the work and goals that God has already prepared for me. And this gives my soul peace. My soul is richly supplied because it is continuously being poured into by the Lord.

We have been called to be diligent. Whether it is in bible study or devotion, doing good for others, applying biblical knowledge and being wise, etc.

Related Bible Verses to Help

For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. (2 Thessalonians 3:10)

The sluggard does not plow in the autumn; he will seek at harvest and have nothing. (Proverbs 20:4)