Laziness. We’re all susceptible to it. In a digital world, with constant distractions, researchers are also discovering that our attention spans are dwindling fast. Why work when you could watch TV? Why read a book when you could scroll social media? Why go to the grocery store when you could use InstaCart? As a matter of fact, why even cook dinner when you could order DoorDash? These easy-outs are key examples of our culture's propensity towards laziness. Thankfully, the Bible offers ancient wisdom to help us overcome laziness. Through Bible verses about laziness, we can heal from sloth and cure laziness in no time.
What Does the Bible Say About Laziness?
The Bible has plenty to say about laziness. In fact, there are dozens of Bible verses about laziness. We’ve got 6 key Bible verses on laziness from the Old Testament and 4 key Bible verses about laziness from the New Testament. So, let’s dive in!
Bible Verses About Laziness from the Old Testament
Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. - Proverbs 6:6-8
Who would have thought that God would use an ant to correct humans? This Bible verse about laziness offers a picture of the created order and God’s intelligent design. Ants know that they must work hard to get their food and be intentional in storing it in the right season. Humans know that they must work hard to get their food and be intentional in storing it, too.
However, our modern age has made the value of hard work less intense, or in some cases, obsolete. Rather than working hard, we often do the bare minimum. However, God created work with intention. We’re supposed to make the earth look a bit more like heaven, each day, through our prayers and our work.
Discover more about God's design for work in John Mark Comer’s book: Garden City
Lazy hands make for poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth. - Proverbs 10:4
Bible verses about laziness show us the fruit of laziness and the fruit of diligence. Even though it can feel exhausting to put in hard work somedays, it’s essential to work hard to overcome laziness. Before you know it, you'll find yourself experiencing the joy of simply doing a good job!
Do video games, social media, or TV have you avoiding hard work? Learn more about self-control and how the Holy Spirit can help you defeat laziness in our blog: What Does the Bible Actually Say About Self-Control?
Slothfulness casts into a deep sleep, and an idle person will suffer hunger. - Proverbs 19:15
Bible verses about laziness often use the word "sloth" to describe laziness. Sloths are the slowest animals on earth. If we’re not careful, idleness can have us behaving more like a sloth and less like a son or daughter of God.
Sluggards do not plow in season; so at harvest time they look but find nothing. - Proverbs 20:4
In ancient times, everyone had to work the land, plant a garden, and store their food for the winter. If you weren't prepared, you didn’t eat. This Bible verse about laziness shows how important it is to work, rather than be idle.
However, sometimes sloth and laziness come from a place of trauma. It’s hard to dream, work, or achieve your goals when you’re just trying to make it through the day. Be inspired and hear a real-life story of healing from trauma with our friend, Heidi Mortenson:
The hand of the diligent will rule, while the slothful will be put to forced labor. - Proverbs 12:24
Proverbs 12:24 is one of those lazy verses in the Bible that make you stop and read it twice. Diligence is the opposite of laziness, and the diligent rule over the slothful in this Bible verse about laziness. Being slothful isn’t just unfulfilling; it can even be dangerous in certain circumstances.
Related Post: What Does the Bible Say About Honesty & Integrity?
A sluggard says, “There’s a lion in the road, a fierce lion roaming the streets!” As a door turns on its hinges, so a sluggard turns on his bed. A sluggard buries his hand in the dish; he is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth. A sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven people who answer discreetly.- Proverbs 26:13-16
How many of you love to sleep in? This Bible verse about laziness gets right to the point! Every day is a gift from God. As we follow Jesus, we should wake up each day with an awareness of our purpose, ready to work, happy to serve, and eager to take on the day.
Are you struggling with getting out of bed in the morning or wrestling with your mental health? There’s a way out! Discover how in our interview with a Christian therapist, Terese Kessler- Bailey:
Bible Verses About Laziness from the New Testament
Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men - Colossians 3:23
One of the antidotes to laziness is working hard. However, Bible verses about laziness caution us against working hard simply to feel accomplished. Rather, these verses against laziness remind us to work hard for the Lord, and not just for men.
Learn how to bring the light of Jesus into your workplace: How to Bring the Light of God Everywhere
Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. - Ephesians 4:28
Did you know that God can redeem any story? In this Bible verse about laziness, we read about the author of Ephesians addressing the Christian church in Ephesus. This Bible verse against laziness is encouraging former thieves who are now Christians to work hard and do honest work.
Hear how a former crime boss left everything to follow Jesus in our blog: It’s Never Too Late: A Real-Life Story of God’s Redemption
So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin. - James 4:17
Sometimes, we know we’re supposed to work, serve, or be diligent in a certain area, yet we still choose to be lazy. This Bible verse about laziness says that when we know the right thing to do and fail to do it, it’s as if we sin! However, even when we fall, Jesus has love, mercy, and forgiveness for us.
Worried about your mistakes? Learn how to get out of a rut: 4 Things You Need to Do When You Mess Up
For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. Now, such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living. - 2 Thessalonians 3:10-12
These Bible verses about laziness from 2 Thessalonians are intense. If anyone without a valid reason decided not to work in Bible times, they were warned that they wouldn’t be fed. Christians are commanded in the scriptures to have a job, work quietly, and earn their own living.
Are you in between work and frustrated with God? Learn how to trust God in difficult times through our blog: How to Trust God & Learn Not On Your Own Understanding
How to Overcome Laziness According to the Bible
Bible verses about laziness tell us that being slothful is bad, but how are we supposed to overcome laziness once and for all? By making the intentional choice to renew our minds, you will grow in discipline and overcome lazy behavior. Here are three simple steps to help you overcome laziness according to the Bible:
1. Renew your mind: Bible verses about laziness show us that the wrestle with laziness has been around since the dawn of time. Thankfully, we can renew our minds with Bible verses about laziness to help us overcome lazy patterns.
Learn more about how to renew your mind with the Bible in our blog: How Do I Meditate as a Christian?
2. Ask God about your work: Does work feel overwhelming? Do you feel unmotivated to clock in each morning? It may be time to pause and ask God what He thinks about your work. For all you know, God could be leading you to a different job. Or, maybe God is teaching you how to be content in every circumstance. Regardless of the outcome, choosing to grab God’s perspective on your work life will help you overcome laziness.
3. Practice the Sabbath: Did you know that God commands us to take a day of rest each week? (Exodus 20:8-11) Sometimes, laziness and slothful patterns can pop up in our lives because of pain, exhaustion, or even overworking. When that happens, we can become chronic procrastinators. By keeping the Sabbath and intentionally taking one day each week to rest from all of our work, we not only honor God’s commands, but we also learn the discipline of rest. Monday will feel different when you feel rejuvenated from observing the Sabbath over the weekend!
Conclusion
As you can see, the Bible has so much to say about laziness. God wants us to be diligent and fruitful in our lives. Despite the fact that we live in a distracted world that’s constantly in a state of digital overload, God’s blueprint for human flourishing has stayed the same. When you renew your mind with Bible verses against laziness, have honest times of prayer with God, and intentionally keep the Sabbath, you can overcome patterns of laziness and live a flourishing life.
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