“I Want it!” – Proverbs in Practice  

Let’s return to an earlier question, former procrastinators:  What are you doing about it?

“The desire of the sluggard kills him, for his hands refuse to labor.  All day long he craves and craves, but the righteous gives and does not hold back.”  Proverbs 21:25-26

The sluggard is obsessed with what he does not have. His desire so consumes him that his ability to think and act responsibly is overcome by his yearning.  He’s so diverted by his desires that he actually refuses to work.  He spends his time and energy pining all day long instead of working for what he wants.

The righteous works and therefore has something.  He has something to give, and he gives generously without holding back for himself.

The sluggard is focused on himself and what he wants.  He is so grieved by not having what he wants that he doesn’t even make a living. He has nothing to share and it’s not his mindset to give.

Givers and takers come to mind.  The sluggard is a taker.  He has to be because he’s too lazy to meet the requirements of his own life.  From Proverbs so far, we know that he expects others to meet his needs. 

The righteous person is a giver.  To give, a person must have something.  The diligent person has because he works.  His work results in provision.  Giving might mean sharing food, shelter, money, or, it might mean giving time and attention.  The self-focused sluggard is unable to care about the needs of others and is certainly not able to help meet those needs.  He might tell you what he would do if he could. The righteous diligent person actually does give.

We let desire lead to action.  The desire to eat, house our families, have the things we need, educate our children, compels us to work.  We may not feel like it, but we recognize that work results in provision and so we do what it takes to gain that.  It also enables us to give generously.

We can learn this early on.  When she was young, our daughter wanted a pair of casual but expensive shoes that were not in our budget.  We encouraged her to save up if she really wanted them.  It took a while, but she diligently saved from her babysitting funds and purchased the shoes.  They were a good choice; she wore them for years. 

Working for something can reveal whether or not we truly want it. Work can reveal the value of something to us.  Wanting without willingness to work reveals character.    

How does your work of any kind enable you to give?