Walking with the Wise #71: The Consistent Irritant

“Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes,

so is the sluggard to those who send him.”
—Proverbs 10:26

There are two consequences of living in a world filled with gadgets meant to save time. The first is that we become busier. As we save time, we start filling up our time with more stuff—thus the busier we become. The second consequence is the polar opposite—laziness. Laziness comes when we should be industrious, but instead simply do nothing, or do it whenever we feel like it.

Laziness, says the Scripture, is never a good thing. Instead, it is described as “like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes,” which is a rich way of describing laziness and its consequences. Laziness doesn’t just affect the person who is lazy, but those around him or her. Those who are lazy are irritants to those around them.

Vinegar is a sour tasting liquid that contains acetic acid and can be quite distasteful if not downright disgusting to drink. Smoke is irritating when it comes into contact with the eyes, making vision difficult and even painful. The sluggard has an effect similar to vinegar and smoke to those who employ him or her—irritating, distasteful, frustrating, and downright painful.

Therefore, as followers of Christ, we must make sure that we are not lazy. Instead, we must endeavor to be industrious. Hard work and diligence are the only cures for laziness. Laziness profits no one, but industry and diligence profit everyone. They enable a person to be a great testimony to Christ, help others, make money for oneself and family, and give a sense of accomplishment—the knowledge that one is useful, has purpose, and can accomplish a task.

Are you lazy? Or are you diligent? How would those for whom you work respond? Would they say you are diligent and that you are a person of industry? Or, when asked about you, would their faces grimace, as from drinking vinegar or having smoke in their eyes? Work hard and do your tasks as unto the Lord and not to men, in the knowledge that as you do, you are contributing to your own joy as Christ is glorified in your satisfaction. Amen.