A number of years ago, La-Z-Boy developed a new recliner: it had the “usual” amenities of a six-motor heated massager, a speaker phone, and holders for both drinks and chips. But for those who really wanted to indulge their quest for relaxation, they could also purchase one with a digital answering machine and built-in modem for both phone and fax privileges. Such a chair (and I’m told that La-Z-Boy also offers multiple chairs and sofas that turn into sleepers) provides very little reason for ever getting up to do anything, making the brand name more than appropriate.
But Solomon was careful to warn his son not to be a lazy boy — he warned his son that a lazy person is self-indulgent (21:25), a pleasure seeker (21:17), short-sighted (10:5; 26:15), a burden to others (10:26), and a rationalizer (6:10; 22:13; 24:33-34). In other words, while “Sunday afternoons may be made for napping,” to spend a life pursuing the pleasure of avoidance is disastrous to the soul.
And there is the real danger of laziness — it is not so much a lack of work issue as it is a heart and spiritual concern. The lazy person indulges in a course of life that idolizes ease. He minimizes the consequence of sin and willfully indulges habitual sin. He is not only dishonest with others, but he is also dishonest with himself about the nature of his heart desires.
And of course the worst kind of laziness is spiritual laziness — we might also call it apathy — an apathy toward both God and His Word and apathy toward obedience and the cultivation of joy in Christ.
How do you identify if you are prone to such apathy?
You know that you’ve fallen into spiritual laziness when you aren’t stirred by warnings against sin, when you can’t be motivated to spiritual duty, and when you are easily discouraged and give up at the sight of difficulties. A lazy soul realizes he’ll never be perfect, so he says, ‘Why bother?’ and is content with spiritual deadness and apathy. [Kris Lundgaard, The Enemy Within.]
So we are well-warned against laziness at work; but we are even better warned against laziness of the soul. Poor is the man who is lazy in his labors; poorer still is the man who is delinquent with his heart.
Words of Grace 