The Sluggard
Proverbs 6:6-11
You know there’s a problem in the culture when the insects seem to live more skillfully than the people. Go to the ant, the writer of Proverbs says, the ant will teach you how to be wise. The Proverb is addressing the problem of people that are lazy and won’t work. It’s fascinating how a book written 3,000 years ago can be so relevant today. Apparently, people haven’t changed much over the years.
We have a work problem in our culture today. Most everyone who hires and manages employees today will tell you they are frustrated. It used to be people appreciated having a job and would show up and work hard. That’s not true today. It’s common for workers to simply not show up when they are scheduled to work. Others show up but do as little as possible. As a customer the apathy of the workers is obvious. Others figure out ways to get money without working and have no real conviction about using others to benefit themselves.
One of the first things we learn about God is He is a God who works. In the beginning God created. Work is not a result of the fall. It’s a reflection of being made in the image of God. Work gives life dignity and worth and invites us to make our contribution to the flourishing of the community. For all eternity we will work because life will have meaning and purpose.
The sluggard is a familiar character in Proverbs. He is unmotivated and lazy. He is a taker not a giver. He works the system and uses others for personal gain. The sluggard is counted amongst the wicked because he consistently disadvantages the community to advantage himself. His name says it all, he’s a sluggard.
Go to the ant, O sluggard, observe her ways and be wise. Which, having no chief, officer or ruler, prepares her food in the summer and gathers her provisions in the harvest. How long will you lie down O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest. Your poverty will come like a vagabond and your need like an armed man.
The ants are amazing little insects. Entomologists tell us that ants have a strong community structure. They don’t have a queen or a head ant. God has wired them with instincts and habits that serve them well. We’ve probably all seen little ants carrying crumbs that are twice their size across the driveway. They work hard in the summer to prepare for the winter. No one makes them do this. They do it because they have to in order to survive. Ants don’t work in isolation, it’s not every ant for himself. They work together so they can survive together.
But people can act like fools. Rather than everyone working together to create a flourishing community many people work the system to their advantage. We take more than we give and then wonder why the system isn’t working. The prevailing wisdom seems to be if you can get away with it, then do it.
The Proverb warns the sluggard that his poverty will come in like a vagabond. Literally someone with a tin cup. A beggar now desperate to survive. This is the person from our reading last week who has exhausted the system to the point of being desperate. He’s burned his bridges. He’s the person desperate for a co-signer or else.
The word translated poverty is unique. It’s only used in Proverbs. Contrary to the poor—the more common term—who are oppressed through no fault of their own, the sluggard is responsible for his own demise. He’s done this to himself. He’s used and abused those around him and now there is no one left who is wiling to continue to enable such bad behavior.
Today, safety nets abound. We too often reward bad behavior. So it’s good to remember, just because something is legal, doesn’t make it right. There are lots of choices today that are legal but not right before God. Just because some politicians are willing to pay you to sit around and be lazy doesn’t mean you should live that way. If you are able, you should work. You should be a giver rather than a taker. Part of loving your neighbor is getting out of bed each day and making your contribution to the flourishing of the community. Paul says if anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either. For a community to flourish, everyone needs to do his part.
Of course, not everyone that works gets a paycheck. It’s not about the money. A homemaker works hard and makes a significant contribution but doesn’t get paid a salary. Those that are retired may not be earning a paycheck but still need to do their part to contribute to the community. There’s no season of life where selfishness is good. We are all expected to do our part.
To be skillful in this area means we do our part. We should earn our wage. We conduct ourselves in a way that is responsible. We strive for integrity. If we’re getting paid to do a job, then we should do our job well regardless of how others are working. We learn a lot about our character by how we work when no one is watching.
One problem in today’s culture is we are so specialized we often fail to see how our work contributes to the greater community. It’s our contribution to the flourishing of the community around us. A plumber isn’t just a plumber. He or she helps make a house a home where life is lived and memories are made. A car salesman or mechanic makes it possible to own a vehicle to go to work or to get the kids to school. A coffee shop owner helps bring people together to experience community with some friends or a place to be alone together.
Take some time this week to ponder what you do and why you do it. How are you contributing to the greater flourishing of the community? Why does your work matter? Remember, your work is not limited to a paycheck. Perhaps you don’t get paid for what you consider to be your most significant contribution. As people made in the image of God, we are all called to contribute to life together. Thanks for doing your part.