One of the things that struck me in the unveiling of the characteristics of a sluggard was the irony of how this spirit it plays itself out in the thinking of an individual. The sluggard is not a non-thinker. Life may seem to just be happening to them, but embedded within this causal existence lay a worldview that governs, guides and protects sluggardom.
In the last section I dealt with, although briefly, the character trait of the sluggard in making excuses. Sluggardom is a worldview and in this worldview the sluggard really believes that his excuses are not only justifiable but that everyone to whom he gives them actually believes his excuses! The truth is that what others actually think is that the excuse maker is unreliable, dishonest, duplicitous and, in a cringing way, a liar. What is also truth is that with every excuse people are simply concluding that the sluggard is ignorant of (or even rebelling against) the word from our Lord when He said: "Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil" (Matthew 5:37).
The painful truth is that the sluggard simply cannot help himself. He acts consistent with his belief system - the worldview that sees life from the singular position of sluggardom. Another feature of this sluggard worldview is that, not only makes excuses, but in the same disposition he operates with and in pride
2. The Sluggard Always Operates In Pride Proud
The sluggard believes himself to be sovereign - in control and all knowing - of everything about his life and the way things work. That may not seem a bit unclear at the moment, but I hope the explanation will help. Proverbs 26:16 states: "The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who can answer sensibly." Kidner notes of the sluggard that
"He comes to … rationalize his laziness; for he is ‘wiser in his own conceit than seven men
that can render a reason.’"[1]
As Reyburn and Fry state,
"The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes: This line means that the lazy person 'thinks that he
is wise' or 'calls himself a wise person.'"(2)
The sluggard believes that he not only knows best but that he understands the consequences to every choice he that is before him to make. In other words, he lives in the reality that his way is the best way in spite of the clear wisdom of God. Thus, his self-affirmed wisdom is actually real and genuine foolishness. That is the irony of it all; in their wisdom sluggards are fools. Proverbs 12:15 says, "The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice."
That is the sluggard. He is always right and he never, truly, listens because he does not have to. Not even to the Lord because, in his warped worldview and way of living, God does not know best, he (the sluggard) does. I know this feels intense, but it is true. Proud people and their arrogance - be it vaunted or veiled - believe they understand, see, perceive, conceive, etc., best. This is the God-complex of the sluggard.
Since he feels this way he believes that he does not have to execute all the time because, in his worldview, everything will work out fine and in his favor. No work, commitment, discipline or diligence. Everything will just happen. Somehow, success will happen without effort in his worldview. To him, even achieving God's plans for his life will take place just because he wants them to, not because there is a trail of the sweat that come in laboring for God's will. Even though he sleeps his life away good things will happen in the end, because he, knowing how it all will play out, is wise one.
What is really odd is that, in his pride, he cannot even see that he is lazy! Proverbs 3:5-6 says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths." Sluggards do the opposite. They trust themselves and their own assessment of things. Such people live the whole of their lives in light of their own wisdom. They know what is best so they approach each day without consulting the Lord in prayer and Word. In their worldview they know how to handle each day and everything that comes with it. They will meet it in their own wisdom and find success in doing so. If, however, the day happens to get away from them and they do not find the success they knew would come, it's okay, they will just make excuses and shift blame.
Pride! That deadly, deceptive and demonic disposition. Puff you up only to make the fall deeper, longer and more destructive. This is why Proverbs 16:18-19 concludes, "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. It is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor than to divide the spoil with the proud."
How about this for a title: "The Dreaming, Proud, Yet Lazy, Non-Executing Sluggard." Wow! Just typing that felt heavy. If you found yourself in this description of the sluggard's pride, know that on this day, at this koinos moment, it can all change. With confession your sluggard life and choosing to be disciplined, in the grace of the Lord, the life of sluggardom can be in your rearview mirror.
Grace is a powerful reality!
As one phrase Michael Jackson sang in Man In the Mirror: "Make that change!"
References [1] Kidner, D. (1964). Proverbs: An Introduction and Commentary (Vol. 17, pp. 39–40). InterVarsity Press. [2] Reyburn, W. D., & Fry, E. M. (2000). A handbook on Proverbs (p. 565). United Bible Societies.