The Sluggard Within

The Sluggard WithinThe Sluggard Within

How to wreck everything How to wreck everything without doing a thing.without doing a thing.

SluggardSluggard

The Hebrew root is The Hebrew root is עצלעצל Used 16 times in Proverbs and 2 times Used 16 times in Proverbs and 2 times

elsewhere (Judges and Ecclesiastes)elsewhere (Judges and Ecclesiastes) The Context of these verses give us a clear The Context of these verses give us a clear

picture of what this word means.picture of what this word means. SluggardSluggard Slug"gard\, n. [Slug + -ard.] A Slug"gard\, n. [Slug + -ard.] A

person habitually lazy, idle, and inactive; a person habitually lazy, idle, and inactive; a drone. drone. Webster's Revised Unabridged Webster's Revised Unabridged DictionaryDictionary

Proverbs 6:6-11Proverbs 6:6-11

6 Go to the ant, you sluggard; 6 Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! consider its ways and be wise!

7 It has no commander, 7 It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, no overseer or ruler,

8 yet it stores its provisions in summer 8 yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. and gathers its food at harvest.

9 How long will you lie there, you sluggard? 9 How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep? When will you get up from your sleep?

10 A little sleep, a little slumber, 10 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest- a little folding of the hands to rest-

11 and poverty will come on you like a bandit 11 and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man. and scarcity like an armed man.

What is the Sluggard Like?What is the Sluggard Like?

ProcrastinatorProcrastinator 6:9-11 How long will you lie 6:9-11 How long will you lie there, you sluggard? there, you sluggard? When will you get up When will you get up from your sleep? A little from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands little folding of the hands to rest- and poverty will to rest- and poverty will come on you like a bandit come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an and scarcity like an armed man.armed man.


ProcrastinatorProcrastinator Excuse MakerExcuse Maker

26:13 26:13

The sluggard says, The sluggard says, "There is a lion in "There is a lion in the road,the road, a fierce lion a fierce lion roaming the roaming the streets!" streets!"


ProcrastinatorProcrastinator Excuse MakerExcuse Maker SleeperSleeper

26:14 26:14

As a door turns on As a door turns on its hinges, so a its hinges, so a sluggard turns on sluggard turns on his bed. his bed.


ProcrastinatorProcrastinator Excuse MakerExcuse Maker SleeperSleeper FoolishFoolish

24:30-31 24:30-31 I went past the I went past the field of the sluggard, field of the sluggard, past the vineyard of past the vineyard of the man who lacks the man who lacks

judgment; thorns had judgment; thorns had come up everywhere, come up everywhere,

the ground was the ground was covered with weeds, covered with weeds,

and the stone wall was and the stone wall was in ruins.in ruins.

What the Sluggard GetsWhat the Sluggard Gets

ThornsThorns 15:19 15:19

The way of the The way of the sluggard is sluggard is blocked with blocked with thorns, but the thorns, but the path of the path of the upright is a upright is a highway.highway.


ThornsThorns HungerHunger

19:15 19:15

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


ThornsThorns HungerHunger PovertyPoverty

13:4 13:4

The sluggard The sluggard craves and gets craves and gets nothing, but the nothing, but the desires of the desires of the diligent are fully diligent are fully satisfied. satisfied.


ThornsThorns HungerHunger PovertyPoverty Bad Bad

ReputationReputation

10:26 10:26

As vinegar to the As vinegar to the teeth and smoke teeth and smoke to the eyes, so is a to the eyes, so is a sluggard to those sluggard to those who send him. who send him.


ThornsThorns HungerHunger PovertyPoverty Bad Bad

ReputationReputation Forced LaborForced Labor

12:24 12:24

Diligent hands will rule, Diligent hands will rule, but laziness ends in but laziness ends in slave labor.slave labor.

The Sluggard’s HeartThe Sluggard’s Heart

Self-seeking Self-seeking 21:25 The 21:25 The

sluggard's sluggard's craving will be craving will be the death of the death of him, because him, because his hands his hands refuse to work. refuse to work.


Pleasure Pleasure seekerseeker

19:24 The 19:24 The sluggard buries sluggard buries his hand in the his hand in the dish; he will not dish; he will not even bring it even bring it back to his back to his mouth! mouth!


No concern about No concern about what happens what happens nextnext

12:27 The lazy 12:27 The lazy man does not roast man does not roast his game, but the his game, but the diligent man prizes diligent man prizes his possessions. his possessions.

Proverbs 26:13-16Proverbs 26:13-16

13 The sluggard says, "There is a lion in the 13 The sluggard says, "There is a lion in the road, road, a fierce lion roaming the streets!" a fierce lion roaming the streets!"

14 As a door turns on its hinges, 14 As a door turns on its hinges, so a sluggard turns on his bed. so a sluggard turns on his bed.

15 The sluggard buries his hand in the dish; 15 The sluggard buries his hand in the dish; he is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth. he is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth.

16 The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes 16 The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who answer discreetly. than seven men who answer discreetly.

Serious BusinessSerious Business

Seven Deadly SinsSeven Deadly Sins


Diligence Diligence

ZealZeal

Seven Deadly SinsSeven Deadly Sins OppositesOpposites


Seven Deadly SinsSeven Deadly Sins OppositesOpposites Battle between our Battle between our

sinful nature and sinful nature and the Spiritthe Spirit

Breakout GroupsBreakout Groups

FoundationFoundation

The fear of the Lord is the beginning The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.wisdom and discipline. Proverbs Proverbs 1:71:7

Discussion CategoriesDiscussion Categories

A. The Sluggard and His Relationship A. The Sluggard and His Relationship with Godwith God

B. The Sluggard HusbandB. The Sluggard Husband

C. The Sluggard PastorC. The Sluggard Pastor

D. The Sluggard ChurchD. The Sluggard Church

1. Proverbs 6:6 1. Proverbs 6:6 Go to the Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ant, you sluggard; consider its

ways and be wise.ways and be wise.

A good use of the time and talents God A good use of the time and talents God has given us, in other words, activity has given us, in other words, activity and work are the goals for which we and work are the goals for which we aim. We want to be like the ant, not aim. We want to be like the ant, not the slug. the slug.

The question to discuss:The question to discuss:

What would be the diligent What would be the diligent task(s) we would carry out with task(s) we would carry out with zeal if we weren’t sluggards in zeal if we weren’t sluggards in this category?this category?

2. Proverbs 15:19 2. Proverbs 15:19 The way of The way of the sluggard is blocked with the sluggard is blocked with

thorns, but the path of the upright thorns, but the path of the upright is a highway. is a highway.

Proverbs 10:26 Proverbs 10:26 As vinegar to As vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, the teeth and smoke to the eyes,

so is a sluggard to those who send so is a sluggard to those who send him.him.

The sluggard’s path brings hardship The sluggard’s path brings hardship and problems, both for himself and and problems, both for himself and those that count on him.those that count on him.

The questions to discuss:The questions to discuss:

What problems or hardships What problems or hardships do we face in this category? do we face in this category? What problems do we cause What problems do we cause others?others?

3. Proverbs 22:13 3. Proverbs 22:13 The The sluggard says, “There is a lion sluggard says, “There is a lion

outside! Or, “I will be murdered outside! Or, “I will be murdered in the streets!”in the streets!”

The sluggard may think there are very The sluggard may think there are very good reasons not to do something.good reasons not to do something.

The questions to discuss:The questions to discuss:

What faulty reasons might What faulty reasons might be given not to be diligent in this be given not to be diligent in this category? Are there any good category? Are there any good reasons?reasons?

4. Proverbs 26:14 4. Proverbs 26:14 As a door As a door turns on its hinges, so a turns on its hinges, so a

sluggard turns on his bed.sluggard turns on his bed.

There are useless uses of time that get There are useless uses of time that get in the way of diligent work.in the way of diligent work.

The question to discuss:The question to discuss:

What sluggardly challenges What sluggardly challenges besides our bed get in the way of besides our bed get in the way of diligence in this category?diligence in this category?

5. Proverbs 26:16 5. Proverbs 26:16 The The sluggard is wiser in his own sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who eyes than seven men who

answer discreetly.answer discreetly.

The sluggard can be so full of himself The sluggard can be so full of himself and the ease of life he craves, that and the ease of life he craves, that he fails to heed the wisdom and he fails to heed the wisdom and advice of others.advice of others.

The question to answer:The question to answer:

In what ways can the In what ways can the sluggard be blind to the reality sluggard be blind to the reality of his failures in this category of his failures in this category and what can we do to help?and what can we do to help?

Can somebody be busy yet Can somebody be busy yet still be a sluggard?still be a sluggard?

Is being a sluggard the Is being a sluggard the problem or is it just a matter problem or is it just a matter

of balancing priorities of balancing priorities properly?properly?

Can you help?Can you help?

I always leave conference I always leave conference

feeling guilty about all the feeling guilty about all the

things I am not doing well.things I am not doing well.

Documents

The Sluggard Within