Sloth

We make thousands of choices every single day. Some are difficult and others are mindless repetitive acts that we tend to forget about moments later. I believe for the most part everyone has a fundamental “gut” feeling of right versus wrong. However, whether or not we choose to listen to our gut is an entirely different story.

Advances in technology continue to make our lives easier - if not more complex, all at the same time. Universal remote controls, voice recognition software, all in one web browser/cell phone/video and mp3 players, home networks and having access to virtually unlimited amounts of information simply by “Googling”.

I’m not against advances in technology, as a matter of fact its part of what I do on a daily basis. But, I do feel that our lives continue to become easier by the decade. Things were easier in the 90’s than they were in the 80’s, and the 80’s were easier than the 70’s…and so on it goes.

So what does this have to do with the sin of Sloth or God for that matter? Sometimes these advances make our lives so much easier that we become conditioned and even dependent upon them. This causes us to do less, think less, act less, pray less and even care less...because quite frankly, we don’t have to do what people had to 20 or 30 years ago to get by. Things are easier now, whether we like to admit to it or not.

So, what would your life be like if it were fully dependent upon God? Only you can answer that question – but I can tell you that once you turn that corner and give everything you have to Jesus…your life will change. God always hears our prayers and knows our needs and desires before we ask. As we have become so dependent upon TV, DVRs, wireless internet, and cell phones – so should we become dependent upon God. For in the end, this is all that truly matters. Trust me…no ones going to bury you with your cell phone, Blackberry or laptop. At the end of the Age these things will become irrelevant, as these are the things of men, not the things of God.

Okay – with that said, there a lot of different ways to outline the sin of sloth. I’ve given it some thought and decided that the following comments taken from http://www.whitestonejournal.com/ sum it up in terms that most of us can relate to.

Here are Whitestone’s comments…

But I Do Lots of Stuff!

Most people think of sloth as laziness, not doing much of anything, but just sitting around doing nothing. Many people stay busy most of the time but don't do the things they should, putting them off for later. They may be staying busy so they have an excuse.
Sloth (or acedia) is a kind of spiritual laziness (as opposed to mere physical fatigue or depression). It means not making it a priority to do what we should, or change what we should in ourselves. Some people might call it apathy, which means a lack of feeling.

An example might be a parent that always sends their child to bed early so they can have lots of quiet time to play solitaire or watch TV. Perhaps they could let the child stay up a little later and play a game with them or read. Or perhaps they always tell their child "no!" without taking the trouble to explain why...

Another example could be someone active in a political movement. Perhaps they don't bother to read other opinions and so never question whether their group is right or wrong. As a result, they could support some very wrong beliefs, such as racism, because they never tried to find the truth.

In business, some people never check into the laws to see if their practices are illegal. For Christians, we sometimes don't really want to know what the Bible (or our Church) teaches about something, so we put off reading or asking about it. Sloth is quite possibly the main reason why people don't read good spiritual books. They will read Christian fiction or some odd Gnostic gospel instead that "tickles their ears," but never the ones that could call them to action: loving their neighbor, helping the poor, telling the truth.

Lastly, there might be a student who naturally picks everything up with very little effort. Instead of learning more than required, or doing volunteer work, they might just sit around getting high or gossiping. Not because it is fun, but because they just don't care.

It should be noted that vices often are disguised as virtues. So sloth is often disguised as calmness, serenity, keeping a level head, open mindedness, etc... If sloth is the reality, people will get very defensive…or maybe not if the problem is sloth, as it is too much effort to defend it.

"His master replied, `You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed?"

Matthew 25:26

Final Thoughts –

To sum things up sloth is just plain laziness - spiritually, mentally and physically. A person like this wants nothing to do with responsibility, in fact, they’ll ignore it and will often place blame on others even when they’ve “dropped the ball”. Typically, where you find sloth, you will also find gluttony not far behind. Sloth fills the heart with actions of deceit, lies, excuses and deceptions.

“Laziness brings on deep sleep,
and the shiftless man goes hungry.”

Proverbs 19:15

The opposing virtue against sloth is zeal. “Zeal is the energetic response of the heart to God’s commands." Have joy and passion in serving not only the Lord, but your fellow man as well.

I'll leave you with this passage from Mark.

Jesus called them together and said, "You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

Mark 10:42-45

May God bless you. And this is for His Glory!