Youth 4th quarter 2024
November 3, 2024
“A lazy man will not roast what he has hunted, but a man’s prized possession is diligence.” ( Pr 12.27 )
LESSON SUMMARY
Laziness paralyzes us, but work and diligence make us persevere.
WEEKLY READING
MONDAY - Pv 6.6-11 The example of the ant
WEDNESDAY - Pv 26.13-16 An irony about laziness
THURSDAY - Dn 6.10-13 The importance of a healthy routine
OBJECTIVES
TO UNDERSTAND the biblical warning against laziness:
TO SHOW the consequences of laziness,
TO KNOW how we can protect ourselves from laziness.
INTERACTION
Teacher, in this lesson, we will study about laziness. We will see, in light of the biblical text that serves as the Bible reading in class, what laziness really is, because it is important to distinguish between what is and what is not laziness. We will also see how we can prevent laziness. In this opportunity, you can encourage the young people to have a sense of responsibility with food and sleep, as well as to establish a healthy routine.
TEACHING GUIDANCE
Teacher, write the words “diligence” and “laziness” on the board. Then explain that the book of “Proverbs” makes it clear that diligence, being willing to work hard and do the best in any task, is a vital part of living wisely. We work hard not to become rich, famous, or admired, but to serve God with the best of ourselves during our lives” (Personal Application Study Bible. Rio de Janeiro: CPAD. p. 867). Then, show the chart below and emphasize the consequences of laziness in our lives.
| THE LAZY ONES | REFERENCE |
| They soon become poor | Pv 10.4 |
| They sleep during the harvest | Pv 10.5 |
| They are a nuisance. | Pv 10.26 |
| They are idle | Pv 12.11 |
| They waste good resources. | Pv 12.27 |
| They have difficulties throughout their lives. | Pv 15.19 |
BIBLE TEXT
Proverbs 6.6-11: 24-30-34: 26.13-16
Proverbs 6
6 Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider her ways and be wise.
7 Which has no superior, officer or ruler.
8 She prepares her bread in the summer; she gathers her food in the harvest.
9 How long will you lie down, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep?
10 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands. to lie down.
11 So poverty will come upon you like a thief, and want like an armed man .
Proverbs 24
30 I went by the field of the sluggard, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding.
31 And, behold, it was all grown over with thistles, and its surface was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down.
32 And when I saw it, I considered it; and when I saw it, I received instruction.
33 A little sleep, a little slumbering, a little folding of the hands to lie down.
34 So poverty will come upon you like a thief, and want like an armed man.
Proverbs 26
13 The sluggard says, “A lion is in the way; a lion is in the streets
.” 14 As a door turns on its hinges, so the sluggard turns on his bed.
15 The sluggard hides his hand in his bosom; he is weary to put it to his mouth.
16 The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who give a good answer .
INTRODUCTION
In this lesson, we will study the warning from the Book of Proverbs about laziness. We will see that the Word of God has much to teach us about this subject. Thus, in light of the explanation of the biblical text that serves as Bible reading in class, we will conceptualize laziness, we will make a distinction between what it is and what it is not. Finally, we will reflect on some basic ways to prevent laziness. May there be zeal and fervor in our hearts instead of laziness!
I- A WARNING AGAINST LAZINESS
1- Initial information. The Book of Proverbs has several practical warnings for the lives of young people. In chapter 6, among many warnings (vv. 1-19), we will prioritize the warning against laziness (vv. 6-11). We will correlate this section with Proverbs 24:30-34, which contains an admonition against the lazy. We will also expand on this biblical warning through an ironic portrait that the wise man makes of the lazy.2- Proverbs 6:6-11. The warning against laziness in Proverbs 6 actually encourages the practice of the virtues of diligence and work, since laziness is contrary to both. Therefore, the wise man turns to nature and, through the observation of the ant, he teaches lessons of diligence and work. The ants teach us about zealous organization, even though they do not have a boss (vv. 6.7), they teach us a very conscious dimension of the time of work and well-rewarded rest (v. 8). The wise man asks the lazy man to reflect on his condition (v. 9). And, at the end of the section, he concludes: poverty will come upon the lazy man unexpectedly (vv. 10.11).
3- Proverbs 24.30-34; 26.13-16. Proverbs 24.30-34 brings the wise man’s observation regarding the lazy man’s field. And what he sees: total disorder and lack of diligence (vv. 30, 31). In light of this reflection, the wise man concludes once again (v. 32): poverty will come upon the lazy man unexpectedly. In Proverbs 26:13-16 the wise man makes an ironic comment about the “excuses of the lazy man” against being diligent and hard-working: “a lion is in the way, a lion is in the streets” (v.13). The lazy man does not get out of bed, does not have the courage to put his hand in his mouth (vv.14,15) and, even before seven people who respond well, he thinks he is wise and the owner of the truth, that is, the lazy man enters a process of denial (v.16).
THINK!
What material consequences does laziness bring in an unexpected way?
IMPORTANT POINT!
One of them is poverty.
SUBSIDY 1
“Many people live with the impression that work is a curse. Some even try to cite Scripture to support their position that work is the sad consequence of Adam’s sin in the Garden of Eden. Wrong! Even before sin entered the world, before Adam’s disobedience subjected the world to the consequences of sin, and when total innocence still prevailed, God gave humanity the task of cultivating the garden, filling the world, and ruling the earth (Gen. 128:215). Work is not a curse. On the contrary, it is a gift from God. He gave humanity the honor of becoming his vice-regent on earth. The Fall of Humanity, however, turned work into effort. The curse that followed sin is also behind conflicts—the thorn-like irritations that now frustrate a person’s work. Work, in itself, is a privilege. It is also a challenge to indolence, a response to monotony, an opportunity for personal growth and development, and a worthy place to invest one’s energies. And, perhaps most importantly, work meets our physical needs.” (Adapted from SWINDOLL, Charles R. Living Proverbs. Rio de Janeiro: CPAD, 2013, p. 149)
2- What is not laziness? It is very important to emphasize here what is not laziness. Resting is not laziness ( Gen 2.2 ). Quite the contrary, it is a biblical principle that, if ignored, will lead human beings to physical and mental exhaustion. We also cannot confuse laziness with organic causes. Sometimes what many understand as laziness has to do with the lack of nutrients from an unhealthy diet, or the lack of the necessary time for restful sleep, or even a chemical dysfunction in the production of hormones in our body that have to do with disposition and vitality. Therefore, not everything is laziness!
3- Laziness paralyzes your development. Laziness, which the Bible warns against, paralyzes the spiritual, emotional, academic and professional development of young people. It eliminates the sense of responsibility in life. Now, if we enter into a morbid mode of inactivity, unfortunately, we will suffer serious consequences in our lives. For example, our devotional life depends on the sense of responsibility in maintaining a certain discipline ( Daniel 6:10-13 ). Our disposition for social relationships has to do with investing attention and time in others. Achieving the goal of passing an important exam or college entrance exam in order to get into a good university has to do with staying focused on achieving the goal. Professional success depends on the willingness to always do your best. Laziness, as a morbid disposition, sabotages all of this. It is no coincidence that in the New Testament, the apostle Paul exhorts us not to be idle and to work to eat our own bread ( 2 Thess 3.10-12 ) and not to lack zeal and fervor in life ( Rom 12.11 ). What we read in Proverbs 6.24 and 26 is in line with what the apostle Paul taught and with the reality of life.
THINK!
SUBSIDY 1
“Many people live with the impression that work is a curse. Some even try to cite Scripture to support their position that work is the sad consequence of Adam’s sin in the Garden of Eden. Wrong! Even before sin entered the world, before Adam’s disobedience subjected the world to the consequences of sin, and when total innocence still prevailed, God gave humanity the task of cultivating the garden, filling the world, and ruling the earth (Gen. 128:215). Work is not a curse. On the contrary, it is a gift from God. He gave humanity the honor of becoming his vice-regent on earth. The Fall of Humanity, however, turned work into effort. The curse that followed sin is also behind conflicts—the thorn-like irritations that now frustrate a person’s work. Work, in itself, is a privilege. It is also a challenge to indolence, a response to monotony, an opportunity for personal growth and development, and a worthy place to invest one’s energies. And, perhaps most importantly, work meets our physical needs.” (Adapted from SWINDOLL, Charles R. Living Proverbs. Rio de Janeiro: CPAD, 2013, p. 149)
II- LAZINESS AND ITS CONSEQUENCES
1- Conceptualizing laziness. In general, laziness has to do with an aversion to work, a state of prostration, slowness and sluggishness. From a psychological point of view, it has to do with a chronic unwillingness to perform routine activities, it can reveal itself as an aversion to the idea of discipline and order and it can also be a symptom that reveals an organic problem. In addition, laziness can trigger feelings such as boredom, melancholy and, from a combination of organic and environmental factors, depression. Who has never felt that feeling of emptiness when realizing the loss of time due to prostration caused by laziness? When this state becomes chronic, even health is affected.2- What is not laziness? It is very important to emphasize here what is not laziness. Resting is not laziness ( Gen 2.2 ). Quite the contrary, it is a biblical principle that, if ignored, will lead human beings to physical and mental exhaustion. We also cannot confuse laziness with organic causes. Sometimes what many understand as laziness has to do with the lack of nutrients from an unhealthy diet, or the lack of the necessary time for restful sleep, or even a chemical dysfunction in the production of hormones in our body that have to do with disposition and vitality. Therefore, not everything is laziness!
3- Laziness paralyzes your development. Laziness, which the Bible warns against, paralyzes the spiritual, emotional, academic and professional development of young people. It eliminates the sense of responsibility in life. Now, if we enter into a morbid mode of inactivity, unfortunately, we will suffer serious consequences in our lives. For example, our devotional life depends on the sense of responsibility in maintaining a certain discipline ( Daniel 6:10-13 ). Our disposition for social relationships has to do with investing attention and time in others. Achieving the goal of passing an important exam or college entrance exam in order to get into a good university has to do with staying focused on achieving the goal. Professional success depends on the willingness to always do your best. Laziness, as a morbid disposition, sabotages all of this. It is no coincidence that in the New Testament, the apostle Paul exhorts us not to be idle and to work to eat our own bread ( 2 Thess 3.10-12 ) and not to lack zeal and fervor in life ( Rom 12.11 ). What we read in Proverbs 6.24 and 26 is in line with what the apostle Paul taught and with the reality of life.
THINK!
What can laziness paralyze?
IMPORTANT POINT!
Our spiritual, emotional, academic and professional development..
SUBSIDY 2
Teacher, explain to the students that “of all the passages in the Scriptures that deal with the subject of laziness, the most eloquent are the words of Solomon. Among the words he used, lazy seems to be his favorite. There is no way to avoid this: laziness focuses on the obstacles, the excuses that loom large in front of a task. People who are lazy cannot roll up their sleeves and dive into work. However, if we wander too much around work, your poverty will overtake you like a thief, so that you will never be able to do anything. Sometimes it’s better to just dive in and get to work.” (Adapted from SWINDOLL Charles R. Vivendo Provérbios. Rio de Janeiro: CPAD. 2013. p. 149)
2- Taking care of the body. With the sense of responsibility established, we must now maintain our body to carry out our responsibility. One thing that we often neglect in our youth is our body and our diet, physical fitness and sleep. If we do not eat well and healthily, we will not have the adequate nutrients to fulfill our responsibility ( Acts 27.33-38 ). Also, if we do not take care of our physical fitness, we will have physical problems and lack of mobility to carry out a routine ( Eph 5.29 ). It is also not possible to sleep late, wake up early and perform well throughout the day. It is impossible! Sleep is precious for our recovery after a day of work and study ( 1 Kings 19.5.6 ). Therefore, eat healthily, take care of your physical fitness and sleep at a regular time when your body can rest and recover for a new routine. Your body will thank you and your mind will feel lighter. Laziness weighs down the body and mind.
3- Cultivating a healthy routine. Observe nature! The example of the ant, seen in Proverbs 6, shows us how its rhythm and time are harmonious. Look at the 4 seasons: autumn, winter, spring and summer! Regardless of what happens in the world, this cycle will happen. We must learn from nature. Now, routine is not meant to oppress us, on the contrary, it is meant to give us greater freedom to choose the best options that are before us. No athlete reaches their goal without a routine. No writer publishes a book without a basic routine. No artist draws a canvas without a routine that fits their reality. Let us remember that the first chapter of Genesis shows a God who worked with routine ( Gen 1.2). In Numbers, He taught His people to organize themselves and develop a routine ( Num 1:2 ). Routine is a great antidote to laziness, and God expects us to organize ourselves through a healthy routine, both inside and out.
THINK!
SUBSIDY 2
Teacher, explain to the students that “of all the passages in the Scriptures that deal with the subject of laziness, the most eloquent are the words of Solomon. Among the words he used, lazy seems to be his favorite. There is no way to avoid this: laziness focuses on the obstacles, the excuses that loom large in front of a task. People who are lazy cannot roll up their sleeves and dive into work. However, if we wander too much around work, your poverty will overtake you like a thief, so that you will never be able to do anything. Sometimes it’s better to just dive in and get to work.” (Adapted from SWINDOLL Charles R. Vivendo Provérbios. Rio de Janeiro: CPAD. 2013. p. 149)
III- PROTECTING YOURSELF AGAINST LAZINESS
1- Developing a sense of responsibility. There is no step-by-step guide to overcoming laziness. However, building a sense of responsibility is a good start. It has to do with having clarity about your life’s purpose. Could you answer what your life’s purpose is? A sense of responsibility has to do with our awareness of our life’s calling. According to this, we will have the motivation to get up every day to do something. According to Proverbs 6, a lazy person has no motivation to get up ( Prov. 6:9, 10 ; cf. 24:33). Therefore, we can ask ourselves some assertive questions to create this sense of responsibility: “What is the purpose of my life?” “What do I want God to think of me?” “What legacy do I want to leave to the people I relate to?” What a sense of responsibility the apostle Paul had: “For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast about, for necessity is laid upon me; and woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!” ( 1 Cor 9.16 ).2- Taking care of the body. With the sense of responsibility established, we must now maintain our body to carry out our responsibility. One thing that we often neglect in our youth is our body and our diet, physical fitness and sleep. If we do not eat well and healthily, we will not have the adequate nutrients to fulfill our responsibility ( Acts 27.33-38 ). Also, if we do not take care of our physical fitness, we will have physical problems and lack of mobility to carry out a routine ( Eph 5.29 ). It is also not possible to sleep late, wake up early and perform well throughout the day. It is impossible! Sleep is precious for our recovery after a day of work and study ( 1 Kings 19.5.6 ). Therefore, eat healthily, take care of your physical fitness and sleep at a regular time when your body can rest and recover for a new routine. Your body will thank you and your mind will feel lighter. Laziness weighs down the body and mind.
3- Cultivating a healthy routine. Observe nature! The example of the ant, seen in Proverbs 6, shows us how its rhythm and time are harmonious. Look at the 4 seasons: autumn, winter, spring and summer! Regardless of what happens in the world, this cycle will happen. We must learn from nature. Now, routine is not meant to oppress us, on the contrary, it is meant to give us greater freedom to choose the best options that are before us. No athlete reaches their goal without a routine. No writer publishes a book without a basic routine. No artist draws a canvas without a routine that fits their reality. Let us remember that the first chapter of Genesis shows a God who worked with routine ( Gen 1.2). In Numbers, He taught His people to organize themselves and develop a routine ( Num 1:2 ). Routine is a great antidote to laziness, and God expects us to organize ourselves through a healthy routine, both inside and out.
THINK!
What can we relate the sense of responsibility to?
IMPORTANT POINT!
We can relate it to the purpose of life
CONCLUSION
The book of Proverbs reveals many warnings against laziness. In this opportunity, we take it as an invitation from the Word of God for our well-being. Let us take care of our sense of responsibility, our diet and sleep, as well as establishing a healthy routine. These precautions are wise initiatives to prevent laziness and, consequently, develop our lives from a spiritual, emotional, academic and professional point of view.
TIME FOR REVIEW
1- What is the main warning from the Proverbs that we studied?
The warning against laziness
CONCLUSION
The book of Proverbs reveals many warnings against laziness. In this opportunity, we take it as an invitation from the Word of God for our well-being. Let us take care of our sense of responsibility, our diet and sleep, as well as establishing a healthy routine. These precautions are wise initiatives to prevent laziness and, consequently, develop our lives from a spiritual, emotional, academic and professional point of view.
TIME FOR REVIEW
1- What is the main warning from the Proverbs that we studied?
The warning against laziness
2- According to the lesson, define the word laziness.
In general, laziness has to do with an aversion to work, a state of prostration, slowness and sluggishness.
In general, laziness has to do with an aversion to work, a state of prostration, slowness and sluggishness.
3- What is not laziness?
Resting is not laziness (Gen 2:2).
Resting is not laziness (Gen 2:2).
4- What does the sense of responsibility have to do with?
It has to do with the clarity of your life’s purpose.
It has to do with the clarity of your life’s purpose.
5- What can we highlight in the example of the ant in Proverbs 6?
The example of the ant, seen in Proverbs 6, shows us how its rhythm and timing are harmonious
The example of the ant, seen in Proverbs 6, shows us how its rhythm and timing are harmonious
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