A quick word search of the Bible revealed that the word "sloth" doesn't occur in any of the familiar English Translations.  "Laziness" occurs a handful of times, while "lazy" occurs a couple dozen times.  King Solomon was the Biblical commentator most concerned with sloth or laziness.  Here's what he wrote in Ecclesiastes 10:18:  ¹⁸Laziness leads to a sagging roof; idleness leads to a leaky house.  The idea is the same as in Proverbs 24:30-34:  Sloth or laziness brings predictable and obvious consequences:  deterioration and destruction. 

While a sagging roof and a leaky house are definitely problems, the more significant consequences of sloth in our lives are the "sagging" productivity, and the "leaky" characters it produces.  When we fail to live diligently in the power of the Holy Spirit, we leave so many more things unfinished than home repairs (as significant and obvious as they may be!).  Consider this:  what is the most import "work" of your life? Jesus gave us a good answer to that question. He told us to love the Lord, our God, with all of our hearts, souls, minds and strength, and to love our neighbors as ourselves is the first and greatest commandment.  Sloth or laziness keeps us from those tasks, or diverts us from them with mindless activity, or tells us we can do them later.

 Here's a practical suggestion for overcoming sloth today:  Think of one area where you've been putting off growing in your relationship with God or some, specific person, create a plan to ACT in the relationship, and TAKE ONE STEP to move forward with the plan.  The great philosopher, Mary Poppins, said, "A job well begun is half done."  I take her point to mean that once we take action in any area of our lives, the momentum moves us toward completion.  One of sloth's greatest tools is procrastination.  If we don't start, then we'll never finish.  I've always said the hardest mile to run, and the most challenging lap to swim is the first one!

 Take some time right now to think, plan and take one step.  Reread Ecclesiastes 10:18 above if you need to be reminded of the consequences of not getting started.

Let's pray:  Heavenly Father, Thank You for not putting off loving us, for not putting off sending Jesus to redeem us!  Fill us with Your Holy Spirit right now that we may have the power to act in the areas where You are calling us to take a step.  This we pray in Jesus' name.  Amen.