Laziness.
Are you lazy?
In the hustle and bustle of life, it’s easy to fall into the trap of laziness & slothful 🦥🦥 behavior.
We make excuses, avoid responsibility, and settle for less than what we are capable of.
Chances are, if you don’t finish this newsletter you’re lazy. (Kidding..)
Keep reading.. if you’re anything like me you’ve experienced this. A lot.
But don’t worry.
But there are practical, Biblical reminders to help us overcome it.
Oh, before I forget… This past weekend I participated in the 2023 Gloo Hackathon in Boulder, CO. Over 150 participants and 40+ teams all coming together in one place for one goal: To build software/tools using AI to serve the Church/Body of Christ.
If you want to read about my experience this weekend I will be sending out another Newsletter Friday, but it will be a different format than these weekly ones.
BibleMate won an award.. But I won’t spoil it here. That’s no fun :)
What you should be doing on a regular basis
Bible Trivia
Jesus performed many miracles, but which one is recorded being his first?
Answer at the end of the newsletter
AI-Generated
Here’s an AI-generated cartoon of Jesus teaching a group of people (you’re not crazy, it is moving)
What/Who should I do next week?
(Reply with a Bible Story, Character, Theme)
How many men were exactly wise?: Did you know the Bible doesn’t actually specify how many wise men visited Jesus after his birth? Most people say there were 3 of them because there just happened to be 3 gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh (Matthew 2:11)
Old age is the way to go: The Apostle John is the only disciple who was not martyred — but died of natural causes of old age!
Turns out being exiled on a remote island by Greece is a good thing! Sign me up.
Christians.. who? what?: If you were in the middle-east before 70 AD and someone asked you “Do you know any Christians?”, you’d probably look at them strangely. Probably because the term Christian wasn’t used until Acts 11:26 (estimates are the book of Acts was written between 70-90AD) The term was first used the city of Antioch.
Yes.. the city where the Holy Hand Grenade is from. Count to 5!
“The sluggard says, “There is a lion outside!
I shall be killed in the streets!”
Oh no! not a lion in the streets!
Once in a small village, there lived a man named Jonathan, known throughout the community for his laziness.
Jonathan would always find excuses to avoid work and responsibility.
One day, as he lounged in his comfortable chair, his friend Jacob approached him. "Jonathan, the fields are in need of tending. We must plow and sow, for the harvest season is approaching," Jacob said with a sense of urgency
.But Jonathan, not wanting to exert any effort, quickly thought of an excuse. "Jacob, I would love to help, but there's a lion lurking near the field. It's too dangerous for me to go out there. I might be attacked and killed!"
Jacob, recognizing Jonathan's pattern of making excuses, became frustrated. He decided to investigate the truth for himself.
As he approached the field, he noticed no signs of any lion. Puzzled, he returned to Jonathan and confronted him about his deceptive excuse.
"Why, Jonathan, there was no lion in sight!" Jacob exclaimed. "Your excuse was baseless and unfounded."
Realizing his folly, Jonathan hung his head in shame. He realized that his excuses had hindered not only his own growth but also the progress of the community.
In our journey of life, we often encounter moments when laziness creeps in, tempting us to make excuses and avoid the tasks at hand.
The allure of comfort and rest can distract us from the purpose and potential that God has placed within us. However, we must recognize that laziness is a roadblock to productivity and diligence.
It keeps us from fulfilling our responsibilities, pursuing our goals, and maximizing our potential & growing a deeper relationship with God as often we make these excuses in our spiritual lives.
“I’ll read the Bible later” “Oh I’ll just skip church this week and go next week” “I’m too busy to help out (continues to watch Netflix for 3 hours)
I’m not judging anyone - I’m just as guilty of these.
The wisdom of Proverbs paints a vivid picture of the sluggard, who constantly makes excuses for his lack of action.
This figurative "lion in the road" symbolizes the fears, doubts, and obstacles that the sluggard conjures up to justify his inaction.
It represents the perceived dangers and challenges that create a sense of urgency to avoid taking responsibility. However, we must remember that often these "lions" exist only in our minds, and they can only be conquered through diligence.
Just as the sluggard uses the image of a lion as an excuse, we too can find ourselves entangled in a web of fear and excuses.
We may fear failure, rejection, or the unknown, causing us to procrastinate and become complacent in our endeavors. But we are reminded in 2 Timothy 1:7 that God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power, love, and self-discipline.
We must recognize that these fears and excuses are not from God, and we can overcome them through His strength.
Answer:
His first miracle was turning water into wine!
I hope you like grape juice!
TRADE OFFER:
You: click 1 button & share
Me: Give you goodies & rewards
If you’re REALLY enjoying this, and you think others would too — we have a referral system! Where you can exchange the hard task of clicking 1 button and sending that link to someone else, for awesome goodies and rewards! (You’re also doing your family/friends a service by sharing this with them anyways, which should be rewarding in itself… we’re spoiling you)