“Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest— and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man” (Proverbs 6:6-11 NIV).

Here is another lesson to the lazy man—the sluggard—but given with a conscious effort to try to redeem him. The Scripture extends hope by admonishing him to look at the ant. This poem, written by Isaac Watts in his book Divine Songs for Children, also describes a “sluggard”:

THE SLUGGARD

’Tis the voice of the Sluggard: I heard him complain,
“You have waked me too soon! I must slumber again!”
As the door on its hinges, so he on his bed
Turns his sides, and his shoulders, and his heavy head.
“A little more sleep, and a little more slumber!”
Thus he wastes half his days and his hours without number;
And when he gets up he sits folding his hands,
Or walks about sauntering, or trifling he stands.
I made him a visit, still hoping to find
He had took better care for improving his mind:
He told me his dreams, talk’d of eating and drinking
But he scarce reads his Bible, and never loves thinking.

Check out the ant. The ant has no one to tell him what to do and yet he is a self- starter, a self-motivator. He works all summer long, gathering his food for the harvest season. The Scripture extends a wake-up call to the sluggard, hoping for some kind of response. It says to the sluggard, have you not slept enough? Do you want to go hungry, walking through life looking for handouts because you haven’t the wherewithal to earn your own keep?

The Bible is very clear on the principle of working diligently. It says that a lazy person who conveniently excuses himself from working with a little sleep, a little slumber and a little folding of the hands to rest will come to nothing. His life will be one of poverty, bankruptcy and despair. He is one who consoles himself with rest, unconcerned that others are out there getting the job done. However, the person who gets up early, gets right to work and prepares for his future will someday be honored for it. Proverbs 22:29 declares, “Do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before kings” (NKJV).

A penny for your thoughts!

Content © Rich Brott, 2011

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