The Sluggard

Teaching Notes

The Character of the Sluggard 

He will not begin things 

How long will you lie there, you sluggard? 
When will you get up from your sleep?

Proverbs 6:9

He will not finish things 

The lazy do not roast any game, 
but the diligent feed on the riches of the hunt.

Proverbs 12:27

 A sluggard buries his hand in the dish; 
he will not even bring it back to his mouth!

Proverbs 19:24

He will not face things 

The sluggard says, “There’s a lion outside! 
I’ll be killed in the public square!”

Proverbs 22:13

 

The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold; 
therefore shall he beg in harvest, and have nothing.

Proverbs 20:4 AV

He will lack integrity 

Lazy people irritate their employers, 
like vinegar to the teeth or smoke in the eyes.

Proverbs 10:26

 

A lazy person is as bad as 
someone who destroys things.

Proverbs 18:9

The Outcome for the Sluggard   

A lazy person’s way is blocked with briers, 
but the path of the upright is an open highway.

Proverbs 15:19 NLT

 

Despite their desires, the lazy will come to ruin, 
for their hands refuse to work.

Proverbs 21:25

 The Causes 

  • Physical Causes 

    • Iron Deficiency (Anemia)  

    • Sleep Deficiency (Sleep Apnoea) 

    • Unhealthy or Unbalanced Diet (Diabetes) 

    • Dehydration 

    • No Exercise/Too Much Exercise 

    • Hypothyroidism 

    • Fibromyalgia 

  • Psychological Causes 

    • Lack of Self Esteem 

    • Lack of Positive Recognition from Others 

    • Lack of Self Discipline stemming from Low Self-Confidence 

    • Lack of Interest 

    • Fear of Rejection 

    • Anxiety/Depression 

    • Excessive Dopamine hits (Video Games) 

 Two Lessons for the Sluggard 

Learn by Example 

Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones. 
    Learn from their ways and become wise! 
Though they have no prince 
    or governor or ruler to make them work, 
they labor hard all summer, 
    gathering food for the winter.

Proverbs 6:6-8 NLT

Learn from Experience 

I went past the field of a sluggard, 
    past the vineyard of someone who has no sense; 
thorns had come up everywhere, 
    the ground was covered with weeds, 
    and the stone wall was in ruins. 
I applied my heart to what I observed 
    and learned a lesson from what I saw: 
A little sleep, a little slumber, 
    a little folding of the hands to rest— 
and poverty will come on you like a thief 
    and scarcity like an armed man.

Proverbs 24:30-34


Going Deeper

I went past the field of a sluggard, past the vineyard of someone who has no sense; thorns had come up everywhere, the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone wall was in ruins. I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw: A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest—and poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man.

Proverbs 24:30-34

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

Col. 3:23-24

  1. From the above sets of verses, how would you contrast the attitudes towards work?

  2. In your own words, how would you define the word "sluggard?" Have you ever gone through a season of life when that described you? If appropriate, share your story.

  3. What has to change in a person in order for them to no longer be a "sluggard?"

  4. From the passage in Colossians above, what posture should we have towards our work? Is that encouraging or discouraging for you personally? Explain.

  5. How do we prayerfully approach productivity in our lives without it becoming a false idol?


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