In the past, we were always known as hard-working people. In our modern context we’ve become entitled and lazy people. Why work hard when things are handed to us on a silver platter? We’ve become lazy and we are infatuated with ways to be more lazy. We say “work smarter not harder.” But in our pursuit of making things easier, faster and more available I wonder what have we lost? We as a society have been so obsessed with whether or not we can do something we never stop to think whether or not we should. We are obsessed with having new, better and more advanced we don’t consider what we left behind in simpler times.
The sluggard’s [lazy man’s] craving will be the death of him…
(Pr 21:25)
We don’t want to invest in real relationships because of laziness
We have taken our relationships to a much more social-media-infused format and we have traded real-face-to-face relationships that require focus and authenticity for fake-relationships that are based on pretense and social media.
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another…
(Heb 10:23–25)
We consider hard-work a disgrace because of laziness
We live in a generation that hates Mondays because it hates work and lives for the weekend. But work honors God and good for the soul because God has designed us to work hard but we’ve bought into the lie that work is to be avoided.
Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.
(Ga 6:9–10)
Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.
(Col 3:23–24)
We don’t want to work-hard to follow God because of laziness
We want to know and follow God so long as it doesn’t get in the way of our busy self-obsessed lives. We don’t want to engage in discipleship if it requires work or takes us away from the things that are important to us. We want to know Jesus so long as He fits into our schedule and doesn’t require too much of us.
But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.’ 19 And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.’ 20 And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’
(Lk 14:18–20)
We find ourselves infatuated with someone we don’t know we see across the room or with the idea of doing something we’ve never done before we find ourselves infatuated with having a lifestyle we don’t know anything about. Much like that, we are infatuated with laziness. We think that a relationship that takes less work will make us just as happy or that discipleship that requires less commitment will be just as good. But real relationships take in-person time and authenticity and real discipleship requires hard-work and commitment. God has designed actual hard-work to be something that is good and fulfilling.