18. THE OLD LADY AND ANA-PROVERBS(The Lazy Man)

Little Ana was upset because of what her father was saying of his cousin, George. He kept saying that George was lazy, useless and no good. He never did any honest work and was a shame to the family. She could not understand why her Dad said all these harsh words about him because she always found him to be so kind and considerate and always willing to stop what he is doing and spend hours with the children. Waiting for a quiet moment, she gingerly approached her grandmother and with trepidation, she asked her:

“Are lazy people so bad that everybody has to condemn them and criticize them all the time?”

The old lady, recognizing genuine concern in her grand daughter, beckoned her to come and sit with her and picking up her bible said;

“My dear Ana, please understand that lazy people are not necessarily wicked people. But laziness is in a way, a sin against God. The bible, the true word of God, has many references about God’s displeasure of laziness and leaves no doubt of God’s response. Let me read some excerpts from Proverbs to illustrate what I mean. First let me read from Chapter 26:13-16:

The lazy man says,
‘There is a lion in the road!
There is a lion in the streets!’
As a door turns on its hinges,
so does a lazy man on his bed.
The lazy man buries his hand in the dish;
It wears him out to bring it back to his mouth.
The lazy man is wiser in his own eyes;
Than seven men who can answer sensibly.

“This is meant to describe a lazy man. He tries to make excuses to avoid work like saying there is a lion outside, or he stays in bed all the time without making any effort to get up, or even to feed himself. All the while, the lazy man feels he knows everything, even more than seven wise men. Because their main concern is their own comfort and not making the effort, they spend their time finding excuses to avoid work, rather than reasons to work.”

Ana looked at her grandmother for a moment as if she understood, and then spoke:
“Is this why Dad always says that Uncle George will never amount to anything, and will always remain poor and look for help?”
The old lady paused briefly and with a deep sigh she continued:
“Yes my child, in a way you are correct. You cannot expect to achieve anything without making the effort to do so. Listen to what God says in Proverbs 10:4-5:

A lazy hand causes poverty;
But the hand of the diligent makes rich.
He who gathers in summer is a prudent son;
But he who sleeps in harvest is a son who brings shame.

“God did not mince his words in any way. Not only does the lazy man remain poor while the worker prospers, but even more, the one who sleeps away when there is work to do, brings shame on himself and his family.”

Ana, sat up with both her hands cupping her face to underline her astonishment, turned to the old lady and spoke solemnly:
“Do you mean that Uncle George will always be poor and not able to make enough money to take care of himself and his family?”

The old lady placed her left arm around the child’s shoulders and nodded gently as she spoke:
“Let me read two more excerpts from Proverbs.
-The first is from 12:24:

The hand of the diligent will rule;
And the lazy man will be put to forced labor.

-And the second is from 14:23:

In all toil there is profit;
But mere talk tends only to poverty.

“This summarizes the end result between the lazy man and the worker. The worker will grow and prosper as a result of his diligence and hard work, while the lazy man who prefers to talk rather than work, will be left behind to struggle in poverty.”

Ana, getting up slowly, turned to her grand mother with a sad and disappointed face and said, as she walked away:

“Now I understand why Dad is so upset with Uncle George. He loves him too much to allow him to become a failure and a loser.”