Romans 12:11 Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord.
Scripture repeatedly warns us about the consequences of laziness. It would seem from Proverbs that the only thing a lazy person is good at is making excuses. “The slothful [man] saith, [There is] a lion without, I shall be slain in the streets.” (Proverbs 22:13) Laziness and waste are Siamese twins of sloth. “He also that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster.” (Proverbs 18:9) Obviously, a lazy, excuse-making person claiming to be Spirit-filled is not Spirit-filled, for The Holy Spirit is not lazy. The end result of laziness is death. “The desire of the slothful killeth him; for his hands refuse to labour.” (Proverbs 21:25)
Make no mistake about it, beloved; fervency, not laziness, is the character of a Spirit-filled person and congregation. I am not talking about people buzzing around like a hive of bees doing their own thing or fulfilling their own dreams. I am talking about the twice-born, regenerated soul who knows his or her gifting and calling and whose life is all about doing The Father’s business. According to Jesus, a person is either good and faithful, or wicked and slothful. The Spirit of God will never work through a lazy person. Fellow soldier in the army of Jesus, do not be weary in well-doing. Keep your eyes on Jesus and your hand on the plow. “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 15:58)
