These authority figures backed up their opinions about laziness with a fervor of work bordering on the frenzy. Just suggest that perhaps they were leaning towards, just a little bit lazy, and boy, would they explode in a ferocity of work leaving everybody in their smoke. They will even work on their day off.

Instead of relaxing and having fun, these lazy-challenged people spend all their time and energy working zealously as though everything depended upon them getting something done on time.

One of the great sayings of these lazy-challenged people is, "If the Devil finds a man idle, he'll set him at work." This, as everybody knows is an old Scottish proverb. The meaning is quite simple. If you do not find something to fill your mind, the devil will fill it for you.

Now here is the problem as I see it. All of these authority figures are confusing the issue. "Lazy," and "idle," are not synonymous. Someone may have a very idle mind while his hands are busy doing something. Moreover, the lazy person may have a mind more active than other people, but with his hands folded on his lap.

Being idle is one thing but being lazy is something altogether different.

There is another saying not quite as popular but goes something like this, "If you want something done quickly and efficiently find a lazy man to do it."

A man with an idle mind is someone who is not doing anything productive but wasting a lot of time and energy doing it. And I can see why this could be a very tempting sphere of operation for the devil. If anybody sees an empty workshop with some fine machinery but nobody is working it, the temptation is to help yourself. Nothing is more unnerving than seeing something go to waste. An idle man, however, does not care about those things.

A lazy man is rather different. He refuses to waste anything, especially energy, particularly his own. To compare this lazy man with the lazy-challenged man is quite an eye-opener.

The lazy-challenged person wastes more energy and accomplished less than any other category of man. With such a fear of being labeled lazy, they will spin their wheels frantically and accomplish precious little to show for their effort. Activity, yes. Lots of it. So much so that their smoke gets in your eyes.

On the other hand, the lazy person takes a different approach to the matter at hand. Before cranking up into full work mode, he sits down to ponder the whole matter and plans his strategy. Thinking is his specialty.

One thing a lazy man knows is this, some things if put off long enough do not have to be done at all. This is a great savings of energy in the long run. Other people would frantically try to accomplish and finish everything that comes across their desk immediately.

The curse of "immediately," is that very few things need to be done immediately. Somehow, people have gotten the weird notion that if something needs to be done; it needs to be done immediately. But most things are like a fine wine. It takes a lot of aging before it is ready to drink. I like what a great actor once said, "We will sell no wine before its time." The lazy man's version is, "I will do no work before it's time." Then pray that it’s time never comes.

Some things done immediately only create more work. It is a discerning man (lazy man) who knows what needs to be done and what does not have to be done at all. Those people who are greatly allergic to being called lazy are afraid not to do something, while the lazy man is quite content to let some things go undone.

One more thing about a lazy man. Before he will do anything, he will try to figure out the quickest and easiest way to do it without spending a lot of energy or time. He guards his energy as an old miser guards his coins at night.

The lazy person is not intimidated by activity. However, he has that deep-seated satisfaction of knowing that he may not do everything but what he does do he does as effortlessly as possible.

Peter, the angler turned apostle, understood this idea of leisurely casting your life upon the Lord. "Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you" (1 Peter 5:7 KJV).

Even Jesus understood this when he said, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-30 KJV).

The essence of wisdom is this; do not do for yourself what has already been done for you. Very simply put, Jesus has done it all for you.

The Rev. James L. Snyder is pastor of the Family of God Fellowship, 1471 Pine Road, Ocala, FL 34472. He lives with his wife, Martha, in Silver Springs Shores. Call him at 352-687-4240 or mailto:jamessnyder2@att.net The church web site is www.whatafellowship.com.

It first began to dawn on me that life was not as it should be about 5 years ago.  Nothing monumental happened, I was just in a very familiar place of being stuck – again.  Maybe it was because the frequency was increasing and certainly the intensity caught my attention.  Let me back up a little and fill you in.

I’m in a good marriage, and am blessed to be married to a really good man.  I live in a house that’s nicer than I ever imagined I would get to live in. My 3 children would have been in their pre to mid teens at that point, and they are really good kids.  We talk lots, laugh lots, and really enjoy each other’s company.  Our eldest daughter had just come through a year of thyroid cancer which included 3 surgeries and a radiation treatment.  God’s faithfulness and strength saw us through that year.  We came out the other side amazed by His faithfulness, and humbled by His goodness to us every step of the way. Everything in life was good – except on the inside of me.

I spent much of my time frustrated and angry; I was often depressed for no reason that I could put my finger on.  It caught my attention the night I was on my bed again, completely overwhelmed with life.  I figured my family would be much better off without me, and it dawned on me that if I had an affair, Tim could divorce me and not lose face in the church or community – it would be entirely my fault, and then he too, could be free of me.  The frequency and intensity of these thoughts had been increasing over the years, and at this point it dawned on me that I was in a really bad place.

It all sounds so melodramatic to write it out, but inside of me I remember I was shriveling up, pressed in, and struggling with so many aspects of my day. If I had been an addict as a teen or young adult, I would have been right back at it.  I often wanted something to just make it all go away.  Life was too hard.  I knew God was my only hope, and I prayed for His help.  There would be good days, but I really struggled.  I struggled with spending time in His Word everyday, and I knew if I could just be consistent with reading God’s word and praying daily, life would be better. I had experienced that before.  But I couldn’t be consistent – sometimes it was my own laziness, sometimes it was the obligations of marriage or parenting.  And so I struggled on – glad for the good days, enduring the bad days, wishing it could all be over already.

I knew God never intended His child to live this way – this was barely life, let alone “abundant life.”  I had long before dealt with all the baggage that goes with being molested for years as a child – acknowledging the wrong done and forgiving the man, and yet I wondered if some of my struggle with life now may be connected somehow to all the brokenness that resulted from that.  So I decided it wouldn’t hurt to do Beth Moore’s “Breaking Free” Bible study.  I was leading another of her studies at that time with the women’s Bible study group at my church, “Jesus the One and Only,” and I had also signed up to be a participant in the Navigator’s Discipleship Bible study.  I really wanted to be able to share the gospel with people, and knew I needed help with that.

So there I was, lots of Bible study, lots of scripture memory (Navigator’s is big on that!), struggling with life and wishing Jesus would come back today or just take me to heaven so it could all be over.

Looking back now, my heart breaks at the captivity.  Looking back I can see my Heavenly Father trying to help me hear His voice of love.  These were just a few of the Navigator’s memory verses I was learning at that time:

“Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.”  John 16:24

“Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him." John 14:21

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Phil 4:6, 7

I am so thankful God kept after me and helped me to hear Him.

Simply Susan

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