The Characteristics of a Sluggard

[Proverbs 26:13–16]

Personally, I believe there are many things we Christians lack. If I were to name three of them, I would say they are commitment, earnestness (or desperateness), and a sense of urgency.

Usually, the first-generation elders say that their children—the second generation—lack commitment. But it’s not just the first-generation elders who say this; even second-generation pastors who shepherd the second generation say the same. However, I don't believe that this issue of lacking commitment is only a problem among the second generation brothers and sisters. I think it’s an issue for all of us—first generation, 1.5 generation, everyone. In general, I believe that all of us Christians are lacking in commitment.

Not only are we lacking in commitment, but we are also seriously lacking in earnestness. Right now, we are not earnestly seeking God. Not long ago, during early morning prayer, while reading Zephaniah chapters 1 through 3, I paused at chapter 1, verse 6:

“Those who have turned back from following the Lord and have neither sought the Lord nor inquired of him.”

Among God’s declarations of judgment on the people of Judah on the Day of the Lord, I was struck by the statement that He would destroy those who do not seek Him or inquire of Him. I was surprised. Why didn’t the people of Judah seek or call upon God? Upon reflection, it was because they were worshiping idols instead of worshiping God (verses 4–5).

That’s why, in Zephaniah 2:3, God says:

“Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land, you who do what he commands. Seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of the Lord’s anger.”

God desires not only the people of Judah, but all of us Christians as well, to humbly seek Him.

In addition to commitment and earnestness, what we also lack is a sense of urgency. Until we find ourselves in an urgent situation, we live far too comfortably and complacently. We need to recognize the seriousness of the issues we face, seek God earnestly with a sense of urgency, and resolve those issues—but right now, we don’t have that urgency. Instead, we are at ease. We've become steeped in complacency.

When I reflect on the root causes of our lack of commitment, earnestness, and urgency as Christians, I think they are self-centeredness, comfort-seeking, and laziness.

What is self-centeredness, if not self-love? Would someone who loves themselves be willing to commit to the Lord? I believe fewer and fewer people will be willing to commit to the Lord as time goes on. The reason is explained in 2 Timothy 3:2, which says that in the last days, people will be lovers of themselves. As a result, many Christians today love themselves more than they love the Lord or His body, the church. That’s why we are increasingly reluctant to serve the church.

Because everyone is struggling to make a living, fewer people are serving the church with a willing heart. Fewer believers are devoting themselves to the church. I believe this lack of earnestness is also connected. Christians who love themselves seek comfort. Why would they go through suffering or hardship for the Lord?

Hedonism is dangerous, but I believe comfort-seeking is just as dangerous. Why? Because it not only prevents us from earnestly seeking God, but it makes us unable to do so.

Not long ago, while reading Jonah chapter 4, I reflected on how God provided a vine to shield Jonah from the heat in order to ease his discomfort (v. 6). The Bible says Jonah was very happy because of the vine. As I meditated on this passage, I learned two lessons:

1. Just because I’m uncomfortable doesn’t mean I have the right to complain (Jonah 4:6 – discomfort).
   Especially, we must not become angry with God (v. 9).

2. “Our discomfort may be an opportunity to learn a lesson from God—His concern” (Jonah 4:6, 11).

Laziness, along with self-centeredness and comfort-seeking, negatively affects our commitment, earnestness, and sense of urgency. And understandably so, because laziness is closely related to self-centeredness. The root of laziness is self-love (according to Kim Nam-joon).

A self-centered person who loves themselves will never commit to the Lord, will not earnestly seek Him, and will not live out their faith with a sense of urgency.

So, what exactly is laziness?

I read an article online that explained laziness like this:

“Laziness is not about whether you’re moving or not, but whether you prioritize important things or not.”

According to psychiatrist Dr. Yoh-han Moon, there are three types of laziness:

(1) Perfectionist Type (also called the Indecisive Type)
This type of laziness can be identified. Typically, these individuals, due to their personality traits, create overly detailed plans or focus solely on minute preparations, wasting all their time in the process. Outwardly, they always appear busy, but they cannot distinguish what is more important or urgent. For example, even though they need to start studying for an exam immediately, they waste time meticulously organizing their desk and creating an elaborate schedule using various colored pencils.

(2) Self-Doubting Type
This is another type of laziness. These individuals constantly doubt their own abilities and criticize themselves, making them prone to hesitation and procrastination. They fall into a vicious cycle: self-doubt → anxiety → procrastination → partial rationalization ("Next time, I’ll prepare better and definitely do it!") → self-criticism. This pattern repeats endlessly.

(3) Passive-Aggressive Type
This type of person fails to express or sublimate their resentment toward those they depend on (e.g., parents) and instead expresses it passively. They may appear polite on the outside, but they habitually dawdle and act inefficiently when asked to do something, thus expressing their unconscious aggression. Sadly, they aim to frustrate others by slowly sabotaging their own lives and, in turn, harming the lives of those around them. Compared to the previous types, they may actually appear quite calm.

According to the Naver Dictionary, a lazy person is defined as “someone whose actions are slow and who has a disposition or habit of avoiding movement or work” (Internet). In the original Hebrew, the word for “lazy person” refers to “a person who is habitually lazy and inactive, suggesting he has no discipline or initiative, as a moral failure” (Swanson).
However, the Book of Proverbs seems to go beyond just this meaning. For instance, Proverbs 15:19 says, “The way of the sluggard is blocked with thorns, but the path of the upright is a highway,” showing that the lazy person is contrasted with the upright.
Also, in Proverbs 21:25–26, the lazy person who refuses to work is contrasted with “the righteous.”
In Proverbs 19:15, the Bible describes the lazy person as “an idle man,” someone who is “lazy and just loitering around” (Walvoord).
From this, it seems that a lazy person is not only someone who habitually avoids work and lacks discipline or plans — a moral failure — but also someone who is dishonest and unrighteous before God. That’s why Jeremiah 48:10 says, “A curse on anyone who is lax in doing the Lord’s work…”

Friends, laziness is a sin.
The reason laziness is a sin is that it represents disobedience to God’s command.
Especially, not using the talents that God has given us — like the servant in Matthew 25:18 who went and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money — results in Jesus’ rebuke: “You wicked and lazy servant” (v.26). That is sin.

Today’s passage, Proverbs 26:13–16, speaks about the lazy person.
I want to reflect on this passage today and consider four characteristics of a lazy person according to the Bible, so that we can each receive a lesson for our own lives.

First, a characteristic of a lazy person is that they make excuses easily.

Look at Proverbs 26:13:
“The sluggard says, ‘There’s a lion in the road, a fierce lion roaming the streets!’” (NIV).

The roads and streets were places where people worked in those days. If there were really a lion there, it would indeed be dangerous to go. But this statement is merely an excuse made when someone is afraid or lacks confidence (Internet).

As I reflected on this verse, I saw myself in it — someone who, out of fear and insecurity, made various excuses and avoided doing the Lord’s work.
One such excuse was the fear of failure. I thought, “Even if I try that, it’s not going to work anyway,” and so I did nothing for the Lord.

When I thought about the reason, I realized it was because I did not trust God fully and relied instead on my own understanding (Proverbs 3:5).
Because I lacked faith, I leaned on my own understanding. Because I lacked faith, I feared failure.
Yet, the excuse I habitually gave to those around me was: “I’m not a risk-taker.”
In reality, I lacked courage and faith — but I masked it with excuses.

In the Chinese classic Huainanzi, there is a saying:
"A person who says they cannot study because they have no time, will not study even when they do have time” (Internet).

In real life, we make excuses like “I don’t have time” not only about studying, but about many other things too. But we must ask ourselves: could it be that we’re making such excuses because we’re lazy? At the very least, we should consider this possibility.

Here’s an anecdote about the famous British essayist Charles Lamb.
While working at a company in India for many years, he longed for the day he could retire and read books and use his time freely.
When the day of his retirement finally came, and he was free to write and read at his leisure without the company’s constraints, he was overjoyed.

However, after retiring, he came to realize something:
A person who says they cannot write because they are busy will not write even when they have time.
It was only then that he understood that good ideas often come in the midst of busyness.
When he found himself doing nothing, he began to feel self-loathing without even realizing it (Internet).

In Ecclesiastes 4:5, King Solomon the Preacher says:
“The fool folds his hands and eats his own flesh.”
What does this mean? It means that the fool, the senseless one, “folds his hands.” In this context, "folding hands" means he does not work. This aligns with Proverbs 21:25:
“The desire of the sluggard kills him, for his hands refuse to labor.”
In other words, the lazy person refuses to work with his own hands. The Bible refers to such a person as a fool, someone without sense. This type of person dislikes working and makes all sorts of excuses to avoid his responsibilities.

However, John 15:22 states:
"If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin."
A fool who dislikes working and makes excuses for it—he no longer has an excuse for his sin. Now we also have no excuse. Today we have received the word of Proverbs 26:13, and so we can no longer justify our sin. If we continue to be fearful and keep making excuses for avoiding the Lord’s work, we must recognize that this is a sin without excuse in God’s sight.

So what should we do?

In Luke 9:57 and following, we see people making excuses. One person says to Jesus,
“I will follow you wherever you go.” (v.57)
Jesus responds clearly:
“Follow me.” (v.59)
But the man replies,
“Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” (v.59)
Another says,
“I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” (v.61)
To them, Jesus said:
“Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” (v.60)
And again,
“No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” (v.62)
We too must not look back or hesitate by making excuses when it comes to following the Lord.

We need to examine ourselves to see whether we are guilty of not doing the Lord’s work because of our excuses. If we are, we must confess and repent before God. After that, we must no longer give in to fear or excuses, but rather move forward boldly in faith and do the Lord’s work.

Secondly, another characteristic of a lazy person is a love for sleep.

Let’s look at Proverbs 26:14:
“As a door turns on its hinges, so does a sluggard on his bed.”
[Modern Translation: “Just as a door turns back and forth on its hinges, the lazy person turns over in bed.”]
This means the sluggard lingers in bed. In other words, the lazy person loves to roll around and sleep. When we connect this to verse 13, it shows that the lazy person makes all kinds of excuses for not going to work because he simply wants to sleep a little longer or doze off again.

That’s why Solomon writes in Proverbs 6:9–11 (cf. 24:33):
“How long will you lie there, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest...”

How many hours of sleep do you think is appropriate per day?
According to one website, children need about 12 hours, teenagers 9 hours, and adults more than 7.5 hours of sleep per day.
Too little sleep can be a problem—but too much sleep can also cause issues. For example, some people cut down on sleep to do something productive, but lack of sleep can impair physical and mental performance, lowering efficiency.
One study found that when people slept four hours less than usual, their reaction times slowed by about 45%.
If someone pulls an all-nighter, their reaction time nearly doubles compared to normal.
Moreover, lack of sleep dulls mental activity. When sleep-deprived, solving new or complex problems requiring creativity, wit, or quick thinking becomes difficult.
You may also feel less energetic, sluggish, or emotionally low. Even cheerful people can become irritable or depressed after a few sleepless nights.
On the flip side, too much sleep can make a person lethargic and dull.
Oversleeping, along with insomnia, is a classic symptom of depression.

So rather than blindly reducing sleep to study or work, or excessively increasing sleep to relieve fatigue, it’s most important to find your own optimal sleep duration and maintain a consistent sleep routine.
A sleep habit that suits you well is like taking a precious tonic for your body.

In Isaiah 56:10, we see a group of people who love to sleep.
They are called "watchmen of Israel."
Let’s read Isaiah 56:10:
“His watchmen are blind; they are all without knowledge; they are all silent dogs; they cannot bark, dreaming, lying down, loving to slumber.”
Imagine watchmen in the middle of war—those tasked with guarding the city—lying down and loving to sleep. What would happen?
In modern terms, imagine soldiers standing guard but instead lying down asleep. What would happen to the camp?

The role of watchmen is to stay awake (Psalm 127:1), to guard day and night (Nehemiah 4:9), and to blow the trumpet to warn of the enemy’s approach (Ezekiel 33:6).
If such watchmen, with great responsibility, love to sleep, what will happen to the city and its people?
Therefore, no one would assign such people as watchmen.
Who would entrust their life to someone who loves to sleep?

In Proverbs 23:21, Solomon says:
“For the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and slumber will clothe them with rags.”
[Modern Translation: “Drunkards and gluttons will become poor, and those who love sleep will wear rags.”]
In context, Solomon is warning not to associate with drunkards. Why? Because they become poor.
Why do drunkards become poor?
Because they live recklessly (Ephesians 5:18), wasting their possessions (cf. Luke 15), and because they are lazy and love to sleep (Proverbs 23:21).

That’s why the Bible repeatedly says, “Do not get drunk” (Ephesians 5:18; Romans 13:13; 1 Corinthians 5:11; 6:10).

Dear friends, we must not be like lazy people who love to sleep. Also, we must not, like the lazy, fail to wake up when it is time, nor delay our work to a later time. We must not live with the attitude of “let’s sleep a little more and work later.” We must not become people who blame everything else—our circumstances, other people, etc.—instead of blaming our own laziness. We must not love sleep but instead be awake and diligently work. Why? Because a night is certainly coming during which we can no longer work (as expressed in the hymn “Work, for the night is coming,” New Hymnal #330).

Therefore, we must work when it is time to work and not waste time playing. We should not love sleep during our working hours but instead labor diligently. Whether we eat, drink, or whatever we do, we must do the work of God diligently for His glory.

Third, a characteristic of the lazy is that they hate to work.

Look at today’s main text, Proverbs 26:15:

"The sluggard buries his hand in the dish; he is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth."
(The Korean Living Bible renders it: “The lazy person puts his hand into the dish but does not want to bring it to his mouth.”)

This exact same verse appears in Proverbs 19:24:

"A sluggard buries his hand in the dish; he will not even bring it back to his mouth."

Everyone, do you know Aesop’s fable, The Ant and the Grasshopper?
In that famous story, the ant works hard during the summer while the grasshopper sings and mocks the working ants, saying:

“Hey, ants! Are you crazy, preparing for winter in the middle of summer?”

Despite the mockery, the ants continue to work hard through the sweltering summer to prepare for the cold winter.
But the grasshopper, having done no work and only sung all summer, ends up begging for food in winter.

As children, we learned from this fable not to be like the grasshopper but to be like the ant. We were taught to be diligent and hardworking, not lazy.
Now that we are older, the story teaches us not just about diligence but also about the wisdom of preparing ahead for the future.

When we see a small child, we see their mother feeding them by putting food in a spoon and into their mouth.
But what if that child grows older, reaches the age where they should be able to eat with a spoon by themselves, yet continues to sit with their mouth open, expecting the mother to feed them out of habit?
What would you think of that?

Proverbs 21:25 says:

"The desire of the sluggard will kill him, for his hands refuse to work."

What does this mean? It means that the lazy hate to use their hands to work.
Therefore, Proverbs 13:4 says:

"The sluggard craves and gets nothing."

This is because even though they desire things in their hearts, they do not move their hands—they’re too lazy—so they fail to obtain what they desire.

The lazy not only fail to hunt for the food they crave (Proverbs 12:27), but they also put their hand into the dish yet find it too burdensome to bring the food to their mouth (Proverbs 19:24; 26:15).
Isn’t that ridiculous?
If you want to eat meat, you have to go out and hunt—but these people just sit around desiring it in their hearts without actually doing anything.
And who, when hungry, puts their hand in the bowl but finds it too tiring to bring it to their mouth?
Should someone else have to feed them with a spoon like a baby?

This is laziness at its worst.
To desire something in your heart but be too lazy to do anything about it—not even willing to lift food from a dish to your mouth—that is the ultimate expression of laziness.

The Bible, in Proverbs 19:15, calls such a lazy person an “idle man”—a person who is negligent and idle.
To put it plainly: The lazy hate to work with their hands (Proverbs 21:25).
As a result, inescapable poverty will come upon them, like a robber overpowering a helpless victim (Proverbs 24:33, cf. John MacArthur).

In fact, lazy people often create more problems.
Look at 1 Timothy 5:11–13:

“But refuse to enroll younger widows, for when their passions draw them away from Christ, they desire to marry and so incur condemnation for having abandoned their former faith. Besides that, they learn to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only idlers but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not.”

Lazy young widows were going from house to house, gossiping, meddling in other people’s business, and saying things they shouldn't.
They weren’t just idle—they were causing trouble.

There were also foolish and lazy people in the church in Thessalonica.
Let’s recall the well-known passage in 2 Thessalonians 3:10:

“…If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.”

In Paul’s time, there were some in the Thessalonian community who simply refused to work.
Worse yet, they didn’t just refuse to work—they were disrupting the order within the church (3:11).
Why were they acting this way—so foolish and lazy, refusing to labor with their hands?

It was because they held to a distorted view of the end times.
In other words, some in the Thessalonian church had stopped working and withdrawn from responsibility because of a warped eschatology—a mistaken belief about the return of Christ.

Friends, having a wrong view of the end times is dangerous.
But it’s not just faulty eschatology that causes problems.
Whenever we have a distorted faith perspective, we often try to evade our basic responsibilities.
Among those responsibilities are the simple, common-sense duties we are all expected to fulfill.

If we hold to a distorted view of faith, we may avoid even the most basic responsibilities.
The Bible clearly tells us that “if anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat,” yet some people—claiming to be devoted to the church—may refuse to work, live off others, and be overly active in church life, while neglecting ordinary responsibilities.

We must have a right understanding of faith and diligently do the Lord’s work.
Of course, believing in Jesus is a critical part of that work.
But equally important is serving the church, which is the body of Christ.

In serving, we must be humble, recognizing it is only by God’s grace that we serve.
We must also serve with the wisdom God provides.
Above all, we must serve the church of the Lord with Immanuel faith—the firm belief that God is with us (cf. Haggai 1:13; 2:4–5).

Let us also be strong (2:4), not fearful (2:5), and serve the Lord’s church boldly.

Lastly, the fourth characteristic of a lazy person is that he considers himself wise.

Look at today’s text, Proverbs 26:16:
“The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven people who answer discreetly.”
(The Contemporary Translation reads: “The lazy person considers himself wiser than seven people who answer with discernment.”)

We have already meditated on the theme of "being wise in one’s own eyes" through two verses from Proverbs:

(1) The first verse is Proverbs 3:7:
“Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and turn away from evil.”

When we rely on our own understanding, we inevitably come to see ourselves as wise. Especially when we manage things based on our own understanding and things go well, we often mistakenly think it's because of our own wisdom.
Such a person trusts in his own understanding and becomes wise in his own eyes. That is why Solomon, the writer of Proverbs, tells us not to consider ourselves wise.

How is this possible?
It becomes possible when we fear the Lord.
When we fear God, we can turn away from the evil of being wise in our own eyes (v.7).
Fearing God leads us to depart from evil.
Fearing God also keeps us from setting our hearts on lofty things; instead, it inclines our hearts toward humility.

In short, a wise person who fears the Lord is humble.
We must be humble by turning from evil through our fear of God.
Such humble people will be lifted up and greatly used by God.

(2) The second verse is Proverbs 26:12:
“Do you see a person wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.”

The Hebrew original can be translated this way (Park Yoon-sun):
"Do you see someone who considers himself wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him."

Why do we see ourselves as wise in our own eyes?
It is because of pride.
And the reason we are proud is not only because we fail to teach ourselves the Word of God, but also because we live in disobedience to that Word while enjoying teaching others.

Now in today’s passage, Proverbs 26:16, the writer again talks about a person who considers himself wise — and this time he identifies him as a lazy person.
When I reflect on this, I believe laziness is connected to pride.
Just as foolishness is related to pride (v.12), we can see from verse 16 that laziness is also tied to pride.

In short, a lazy person is proud.
But not only that — a lazy person lacks discernment.
How can we know this?
By looking again at Proverbs 26:16 in the Contemporary Translation:
“The lazy person considers himself wiser than seven people who answer with discernment.”

Here the writer is contrasting the lazy person with seven people who answer with discernment.
This comparison shows that the lazy person esteems himself wiser than those seven, not because he truly is, but because he is proud and foolish, and thus lacks discernment.

Pastor John MacArthur says of such people:

“The ignorant are ignorant of their ignorance.”

Likewise, Hebrews 5:2 describes this kind of ignorant, lazy person as:
“one who is going astray” (NIV) or “misguided” (NASB).
In other words, the ignorant lazy person is deceived and falls into error.

Friends, we must not become such ignorant, lazy people.
We must never live without discernment, like a foolish and lazy person.

Instead, we must become wise and diligent.
We must be wise Christians with spiritual discernment.
When we become Christians with spiritual discernment, we will examine ourselves thoroughly (Proverbs 28:11, Contemporary Translation).
And through God’s Word, we will continue to receive good instruction (1:5, Contemporary Translation).

When we do this, our discernment will guard us and protect us (2:11, Contemporary Translation).

Let me conclude this meditation.

Friends, one day, all of us will have to stand before the Lord and give an account (Matthew 25:19).
The Lord has given each of us talents “according to our ability” (v.15).
As those who have received talents from the Lord, we must faithfully fulfill our responsibilities and bear fruit (vv.16–17).

Therefore, we must receive the praise from the Lord:

“Well done, good and faithful servant!” (vv.21, 23).

We must never hear the Lord say to us, as He did to the one who received one talent:

“You wicked and lazy servant!” (v.26).

Today, we have reflected on four characteristics of the lazy person based on Proverbs 26:13–16:

1. The lazy person makes excuses (v.13)

2. Loves sleep (v.14)

3. Hates works (v.15)

4. Considers himself wise (v.16)

I sincerely hope that none of these characteristics will be found in us.