The Scripture passages are identified with bold upright font and the author’s notes are identified with italic regular font.

Note – All words or phrases found in quotation marks are actual parts of the Hebrew or Greek definition(s).

²⁶ As vinegar to the teeth, and as smoke to the eyes, so is the sluggard to them that send him.

Disappointing Lazy Person

Laziness is not just about you! Did you know that?

Vinegar according to my hygienist is very damaging to the enamel of a person’s teeth. People use it to treat their gums and to whiten their teeth, both of which seem to be good things, but if the vinegar is used too often or not washed away it has a way of eating away at the tooth enamel and bring decay. A lazy person is much like that, their presence, their persistent laziness, eats away at those around them decaying the relationship, decaying their possession which need care, decaying the other person or persons in the family or group by decaying the friends, co-workers, family members, etc. health as they attempt to compensate for and do the work of the lazy person.

Smoke is an irritant; it burns the eyes and makes vision very blurry. It can even choke the life out of you if it is heavy or bad enough. A lazy person is most certainly an irritant to those around them. They cause a huge amount of frustration, and even anger, because to be lazy is an injustice to those who have to compensate for another person’s laziness. Believe it or not, think deeply on this next point, our vision of a relationship gets blurred when we are faced with the injustice and unfairness of a person’s laziness, especially when we are directly affected by their sluggard conduct, sluggardness (which means “to be habitually lazy”). We begin to look at that person differently, begin to respect them less, and perhaps rightfully so, if bad enough the person’s laziness and the manner in which laziness, by default, takes advantage of the other person in the relationship, the effects of the laziness may even choke the life out of the relationship.

Laziness is a burden to the lazy individual and to those who depend on or are associated with the lazy person. Someone has to pick up the slack when a lazy person refuses to or makes excuses for why they do not pull their weight and do their part. If the lazy person is employed, then for those around them the solution might be easy – “your fired” – and the headache goes away. However, if the lazy person is a part of your inner circle at church, in a group, or even in your own family their laziness becomes a source of real strain and frustration for the other people within the circle. Laziness also robs the person who partakes in laziness from the overwhelming sense of satisfaction that comes from helping another person, a job well done, a sense of accomplishment, from being a help instead of a hinderance to people, and on some level a sense of personal dignity, healthy pride, and self-worth.

If you are the person dealing with a lazy individual there is not much to be done except pray for that person’s character, which is lacking, and attempt not to allow the person’s laziness, their unfairness to you, their injustice, to eat away at your own character. Otherwise, you might wake up one day and find your character is as bad as their character.

If you are the lazy person there is something you can do. Pray to Jesus to remove your laziness, get up and get busy doing your part, experience how good it feels to be helpful to other people and yourself, rid yourself of your laziness by choice each and every day, and redevelop your character in this area.

Please keep me in your prayers and know that if God should speak anything into your heart as you pray for me regarding my life, please feel free to share that with me. God speaks through His people.

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Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

This blog will not be for the faint of heart or the easily offended. It will not be in any way politically correct. It will make every effort to share the truth in love, [Ephesians 4:11-16], to a decaying and dying society and church. I share what I share not to hurt, harm, or offend any person[s] or group; I do it because Christ’s Standard and Truth is not being represented by enough of His Followers, and I do it out of love. I love enough to tell His Truth.

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

11And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.