Skip to main content

The Sluggard


 A sluggard’s appetite is never filled, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied. (Proverbs 13:4)

           Have you ever worked for something? Whether you put the money in a piggy bank, or used credit and paid it off, you probably know that feeling of paying the last penny so that now it’s yours. There may be lots of other stuff that would be nice to have, but you’ve earned this. You have a sense of satisfaction. Then, there’s the other end. The person who hasn’t earned something but looks on with envy, longing, and hunger. I’ve known both. I’ve watched husbands and wives, and parents and children and at times, I can feel hurt. Why can’t I have that? Maybe because husband-shopping is low on my list of preferences. I’m not interested in going out just to figure out if I like a guy. I want to go out to enjoy the movie, or the dinner, or whatever I agreed to go out for. And if I’m enjoying my evening of watching a movie, it’s irritating to think, “Oh yeah, I have to ignore the movie and pay attention to the person I’m watching it with – which means I’m not watching it. What a waste!” In other words, when it comes to relationships (especially with men) I’m a sluggard. 
          But there are other areas. I spent nearly two decades working on a family history. I’m coming to the end of my third year of working on one novel (yes, I’m working on two more now, but I’m still working on the first.) I’m a hard worker, so I also understand the sense of satisfaction, the fulfillment of desires that comes from diligence. I also understand that the having of the thing is satisfying because the work done to earn it is satisfying. I learned this lesson while doing genealogy. Every time I found something, the finding was a reward making me want to find something more. 
          Whenever I feel as if I can’t work toward the goal, the sluggard takes control, and satisfaction flees.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Think About These Things

                 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. (Philippians 4:8) This passage is a major challenge for me. Like everyone else, I struggle to keep my thoughts from wandering off into the weeds, then wondering what possible benefits those weeds might have… Sigh. But as a writer, I have to delve at least a little into the ignoble, wrong, impure, unlovely, and debased. After all, there’s no story if everything’s just as it should be and everyone’s happy. As Christians, there are times when we need to deal with all the negatives, but that makes it even more important that we practice turning our minds by force of attention to what is noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy. It’s just too easy to get stuck in a swamp. With my...
1 comment
Read more

Higher Thoughts

  “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the  Lord . “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9)           The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments,   for, “Who has known the mind of the Lord      so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ. (I Corinthians 2:15-16) If you read about the ancient gods of the various peoples, you’ll find that they think just like people. In fact, they think just like the sort of people we really wouldn’t want to be around. They think like the most corrupt Hollywood producer or, like hormone overloaded teens with no upbringing.   It’s embarrassing to read. I have a friend who argues that because God is not just like us, He is so vastly dif...
2 comments
Read more

Pure...

            The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. (I Timothy 1:5)   I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. (Revelation 3:15-16) I’m probably cheating - or mishandling the Bible, but earlier I was thinking about love being pure and purifying. And hatred being pure and purifying. And anger…joy…patience… fear… jealousy… courage…lust… and other strongly felt feelings, attitudes, and beliefs. Today’s verse brings purity and love together, so it’s the verse of the day, but it’s not really the focus. That means my motive for sharing it with you probably isn’t pure. As you read through my list, you   probably thought, “Yeah” about some, and “What’s she on?” about others. But consider how much hatred, a...
Post a Comment
Read more