Spiritual sloth
The most dangerous form of sloth is spiritual neglect—becoming careless in our relationship with God. The writer to the Hebrews asks a haunting question:
How shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation? This salvation,
which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him (Hebrews 2:3, NIV).
To neglect our duty may result in temporal loss, but to slothfully neglect our spiritual well-being may result in eternal loss—not only for ourselves, but those we influence.
Biblical antidote for sloth
Solomon gives some instruction to his son for dealing with sloth. He sends him to one of the smallest creatures to learn a vital lesson:
Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no
commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer
and gathers its food at harvest (Proverbs 6:6-8, NIV).
Notice that the first step in overcoming slothfulness is a humbling action.The son of the king, too indolent to learn in normal ways, is sent to a lowly creature for a lesson.
Note at least five lessons to be learned from the ant:
* It plans ahead—considers its ways.
* It is self-motivated—it has no commander.
* It takes responsible action—it stores provisions.
* It exerts effort—it gathers its food.
(Reflections for every woman @ ag.org)
