“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.” Hebrew 12:1-2 NLT
Definition of Sloth:
- A disinclination to action or labor
- Spiritual apathy or inactivity
Three Types of Sloth:
- The Sluggard – The sluggard displays sloth in his daily routinesand becomes apathetic towards others
“A hard worker has plenty of food, but a person who chases fantasies has no sense.” Proverbs 12:11 NLT
“Lazy people take food in their hand, but don’t even lift it to their mouth. “Proverbs 19:24 NLT
- The Workaholic – The workaholic displays sloth in his global missionand becomes apathetic towards the Church
“Then I observed that most people are motivated to success because they envy their neighbors. But this, too, is meaningless—like chasing the wind. ‘Fools fold their idle hands,leading them to ruin.’And yet, ‘Better to have one handful with quietness than two handfuls with hard workand chasing the wind.’” Ecclesiastes 4:4-6 NLT
“We are merely moving shadows,and all our busy rushing ends in nothing.We heap up wealth,not knowing who will spend it.” Psalm 39:6 NLT
- The Zombie – The zombie displays sloth in his enchantmentwith God and becomes apathetic towards God andothers
“Love each other with genuine affection and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.” Romans 12:10-11 NLT
“But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap.” Luke 21:34 ESV
Breaking Free of Sloth:
- Practiceseeing every part of your daily life as worship to God
“Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ.” Colossians 3:23-24 NLT
- Prioritizepeople over selfish gains, creature comforts, and personal agendas
“Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.” Philippians 2:3-4 NLT
- Positionyourself in the center of God’s grace
“Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation,for through him God created everythingin the heavenly realms and on earth.He made the things we can seeand the things we can’t see—such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world.Everything was created through him and for him.He existed before anything else,and he holds all creation together.Christ is also the head of the church,which is his body.He is the beginning,supreme over all who rise from the dead.So, he is first in everything.For God in all his fullnesswas pleased to live in Christ,and through him God reconciledeverything to himself.He made peace with everything in heaven and on earthby means of Christ’s blood on the cross.” Colossians 1:15-20 NLT