Parenting by the Book
STUDY 278
Text: Proverbs 24
22 October 2006
Dear Parents,
AN ANALYSIS OF THE PROBLEM OF LAZINESS
The scene of the vineyard of the lazy man was so striking, that the following words were appended.
When I saw it, I considered it well;
I looked on it and received instruction;
A little sleep, a little slumber,
A little folding of the hands to rest;
So shall your poverty come like a prowler,
And your need like an armed man.Proverbs 24:32-34
Let us raise the following questions in order to fathom better the problem of laziness.
1. How did the problem of laziness creep in?
The answer lies in the following observations:-
a) It starts innocuously with “a little sleep, a little slumber”.
i) There is nothing wrong with sleeping per se.
ii) The danger lies in liking these little “naps”.
iii) Before too long, the individual finds himself looking for more occasions when he can enjoy his little slumbers.
iv) After a while, the person becomes lazy and he is unable and unwilling to shake off this acquired habit of a love for sleep.
2. Did the lazy person realize the dangerous consequences he would find himself in?
a) Most probably not!
b) Nevertheless, the consequences were very real and deadly.
c) The inevitable problem of “poverty” set in.
i) It came as a prowler first.
ii) Soon it came as an armed man.
Could the fate of the lazy man be avoided? The answer is YES!
Prayerfully,
Pastor Charlie