“The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.” Proverbs 13:4

There is something very stinging in the indictment of slothfulness. In our haste to avoid this charge, we will engage in all sorts of mental and verbal gymnastics. But there are areas in each of our lives that it would be far better to accept God’s assessment that the bottom line is simply laziness. Perhaps it is laziness in fighting a sinful habit, family devotions, saving money, cleaning the garage, Bible reading, or spending much needed time with a spouse. Our verse uses the term “desireth” in describing the sluggard. It is not for lack of desire that we fail to do what we know needs to be done. There are many factors that contribute to failed desires, but one that seems to be a continual stumbling block is guilt. Guilt for past failure(to read the Bible or to break a habit) only drives the soul to present and future failure. Guilt perpetuates laziness. If you find yourself nodding your head as you read this, it is time to embrace God’s message regarding guilt.

Guilt has been:

• Placed on Christ
• Removed from the redeemed forever
• Not brought up by God (therefore, it is brought to our attention by Satan or our own ignorance)