Christian Walk Forum

Why am I so lazy?

Ah … the $10,000,000 question. If polled today, most Christians would confess to struggling with the sin of laziness. And most of these most have struggled so hard for so long they've given up hope of ever being delivered. Why so lazy? If you'll pardon my bluntness, laziness is more than likely a symptom of two things in your life … blindness and selfishness.

I'm putting myself in serious contention for the "Duh!" award by stating that the lazy person is not very motivated. The things that seem to work for other people (money, success, power, respect, or pleasure) just don't crank the sluggard's carburetor. And for that - as some kind of back door consolation - they are to be commended. Problem is, nothing else seems to get them up and going either. Why? They're blind. If they saw but a glimpse of the unseen reality around them - the lostness of the lost, the nature of their warfare, the schemes of the enemy, the power and purposes of God, their eternal judgment and rewards - they'd be on their feet and moving. Fast.

Let's be careful not to leave selfishness out of the pot here. Lazy people are selfish people. Their wants outrank their needs. Their desires to please self supplant their desires to please the King. Given the choice - and there's always a choice - the hard (narrow) path of obedience to Jesus is abandoned for that easy (broad) path of serving self. Warm bed instead of early a.m. prayer. Television instead of Bible study. Feasting instead of fasting. The lazy person's choice invariably falls on the side of his own ease and comfort. Selfishness.

There's a funky little proverb (26:15) that says, "The sluggard buries his hand in the dish; he is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth." Notice any blindness or selfishness in his sluggardly actions?

What to do? Well, your question was "why" so I'm not going to get into too many "how to" details right now. But I would encourage you to take your fight to these two root areas (blindness and selfishness) instead of trying to attack the laziness itself. You might want to start by praying every day that God would give you the four F's - Filling of the Holy Spirit, Fear of the Lord, the Fire of God, and Faith. As God blesses you with these things, your eyes will be opened and your devotion to Jesus will grow stronger than your selfish desires. And your laziness will be left in the dust.

Note: Some of you - and you know who you are - mistake busyness with diligence. You could work hard 23 hours a day and somehow feel guilty about wasting that one unproductive hour. Such laziness! (The rest of us are smiling at you right now.) Please understand that yours is not a laziness problem, but a problem stemming from the twin issues of insecurity and misplaced identity. True diligence is simply being faithful to obey what God has called you to do. Nothing more. Nothing less. (Even if that means being still and not doing a thing at all.) My encouragement to you? Be secure in His will … and not in your works. Be at peace with who you are in Him … and not with who you are for others.

                                                                                                     - GSD

(Note: The opinions expressed in this Christian Walk Forum are not necessarily those of other Hakka Church Planting Ministries team members. Go figure.) 

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