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(By the way, it's WFMW, and overcoming laziness works for me!)
"How soon 'not now' becomes 'never'." Martin Luther
Laziness - this word carries connotations of shame or pride, depending on who you talk to. For me, it was an issue of shame.
I had to confess my sin of laziness, but it took awhile before I was willing to do so. I didn't want to admit that I was lazy - tired maybe, but lazy, not me! Well, it is something I struggle with, and I know I'm not the only one. If you struggle with laziness, the first thing you need to do is confess this sin to the Lord, and then allow His grace to wash over you as you seek to have a spirit of diligence.
How do we overcome laziness?
This is a tough one! Remember how I said when I first started this series that it was somewhat of an experiment to help get myself together? Well, I'm right smack dab in the middle of this struggle! Here are some words of wisdom I've come across, perhaps they will help you as as you strive in the fight against idleness:
"I don't have any problem when God commands, "Thou shalt not kill" or "Thou shalt not steal," but, "Thou shalt not be lazy" seems a bit harsh. However, after thinking about it, I came to realize that when we're lazy, we are guilty of killing. Killing time. Which is another way of saying killing life. For idling away time is not living; it's lingering...
Remember, we are never lazy when it comes to the things we want to do; so, it is not a matter of a lack of energy, but a lack of motivation. Therefore, to overcome laziness, we need to master motivation. If our reason to act is great enough, we will have the will to act. We need to think. Think of the reasons why we want to act. Think of and focus on the benefits we will gain by acting. Frequently reflecting on the person we can and want to be can help motivate us to act." Chuck Gallozzi
"Laziness travels so slowly that poverty soon overtakes him." Benjamin Franklin
Today, every time you find yourself saying, "I will do that later," I want you to stop and pray, asking God to give you a spirit of diligence. Then, with an obedient heart, go to work. If (and when) you fail, allow His grace to lift you up and begin again. I know you can do it!
"Whatever you do, do it wholeheartedly as though you were working for your real master and not merely for humans." Colossians 3:23 (God's Word Translation)
Are you a hard worker? Don't you deserve a little time off once in a while? All of us have heard about the vice of "workaholism," but did you know that the reverse is also a dangerous place to be? What could be wrong with being a little lazy? Find out when you join Alistair Begg for Truth For Life. Click here to listen to this message!
14 comments:
The hub read me something from a book yesterday, "Manage your time or your time will manage you." Or something like that. It was very convicting after a day of not being very productive...dare I say lazy? Ugh.
I found this blog through Shannon's WFMW, and this post realy struck me. I too struggle with laziness. Not physical laziness so much, but spiritual laziness. It is so much easier to read a light book or do almost anything besides study God's Word. Thank you for the reminder of the deadly dangers of being lazy!
I'm not lazy in the sense that I don't want to do anything. I really like hard work. But I am lazy in the sense I only want to do the things I want to do. I'm really good at avoiding everything else.
Very inspiring post!
Wow. Try to pick up tips on WFMW and end up being convicted!
You are so right about needing to stop, pray, and then DO with an obedient heart.
I'd say more, but I have things that need, er...doing.
Thanks for the gentle reminder. I'm always trying to balance being active, being lazy, and just doing unnecessary things (do I really need to say yes every time I'm asked to do something?) Have a great week.
What a great reminder! Thank you for sharing.
So glad I'm not the only one! Great advice. I definitely struggle with this and will use all of your advice.
Great post - this is definitely an area I struggle in. I'm working on being more diligent and this was a great encouragement! Thanks!
Argh! Conviction. I think I usuaslly take the attitude I'm so busy I can be lazy a little bit. Its really hard after an 11 hour day not to be lazy when I get home.
I too found you thru WFMW and I had just thought to myself this morning that I am letting myself be unmotivated. What you said was my thoughts verbatim so God must be trying to get thru to me.
it's nice to know that i'm not alone on this one! this is one of my major vices. but only about things that are not "fun" for me (like laundry, dishes, housework, anything that actually needs doing). thank you for such an eloquent encouragement :)
I took the kiddos to the zoo today so I'm late in making my rounds. This is a really good post.
I'm not lazy in that I'm always working on something. I'm always busy. But I definitely try to avoid doing the things that I don't want to do. Sometimes I create busyness in other areas to avoid doing things I don't want to do.
Thanks for the reminder.
OUCH! I needed this post. I'm struggling with this right now.
Thank you so much for posting this!
I may not know you, but you have brought me back to God. Lately I have been struggling with laziness and eventually drifted away from God. Thanks for posting!
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