The Noonday Demon

Right around 1 pm I feel my energy sag. If I lean back on my chair and close my eyes, I can fall asleep in 30 seconds. Fortunately, if a nap overtakes me, I know that I will awaken in about 10 minutes.   The brief  rest leaves me feeling refreshed.  If someone finds me napping in the office, I hope I am not charged with the sin of sloth.  Now there's a word we don't hear much.    Does a midday nap make me guilty?   

The ancient Christian church called the following list, ‘the 7 deadly sins,’ believing that they were cardinal sins that would bring on spiritual death.

•          Pride, the excessive belief in one's own abilities;

•          Envy, the desire for what belongs to another;

•          Gluttony, an inordinate desire to consume more than that which one requires;

•          Lust is an inordinate craving for the pleasures of the body;

•          Anger, also known as wrath;

•          Greed, the desire for material wealth or gain; and

•          Sloth, the avoidance of physical or spiritual work.   Sloth was sometimes called the 'noonday demon' because it showed itself when the sun was hottest. 

Interesting, isn’t it, that sloth makes that list?  In our pleasure conscious culture, the work ethic is not what it once was.  We carefully guard our ‘leisure time,’ regarding it as something near to a divine right. But, laziness creeps in subtly, when inordinate amounts of our time are used for pursuits that have no productive purpose.

Are you afflicted with the sin of slothfulness?   Many of us, when presented that question, could point to our long list of accomplishments and commitments. We could hold up an award or two for our  diligence. Yet, if we took a deeper look we might find sloth rooted in our soul.  Could it be that our frenetic day to day activities are a way to hide the barrenness of our soul that is brought on by spiritual sloth?  Matthew Woodley points out, "Sloth causes a break in our relationship with God.   In contrast to pride which responds to God with a defiant 'no!' - sloth responds to Him with a quiet 'yeah, whatever.'"  (Re-read that quote!)  

The Bible speaks to the slothful Christian challenging him to adopt a new way of life, "We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure. We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised."  {Heb 6:11-12 NIV}   Let's break it down.

Show diligence. Don't ignore or excuse your spiritual stupor. Don't  make the error of comparing yourself to others and taking false comfort that you're 'doing better than some.'  The Lord asks us to give 'our personal best' to Him and will ask us to give account for our efforts.  He does not grade by comparison.    Diligence is not workaholism!  It is obedient, faithful, consistent response to His leading.

Cultivate faith. The counsel of the Word is that we 'walk by faith, not by sight.'   Even when the reward is hidden, we press ahead.  Sometimes the Presence of God is obscured by fatigue, disappointment, or physical malady. In those moments we lean on our brothers and do the right thing just because we know it's right!

Be patient!   The Bible does not ask a resigned- "Oh, well, I'll put up with this with gritted teeth"  that we often confuse with real patience.  True patience is illustrated by the wait of the farmer between planting season and harvest. The farmer knows that his seed will grow and produce a harvest IF he will just wait for the process.   He keeps cultivating, keeps on with life, while he waits for a harvest. 

Practicing the disciplines of the Spirit day by day is the patient thing to do as we resist the tyranny of slothfulness that demands quick fixes and easy solutions to life's challenges.  James says (Give) "your endurance a chance to grow. . . . for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything...  God blesses the people who patiently endure testing. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him." {1:3-4, 12} NLT 

Sloth is seldom defeated by sheer determination.   If we really want to become productive and faithful Christians, we will tell somebody about our struggle and ask them to help us make the choices we need to make, day after day, until a new habit replaces the old one.  Silence the whispers of the 'noonday demon' with the enduring wisdom of the Word that teaches us that -"Diligent hands will rule, but laziness ends in slave labor." (Proverbs 12:24, NIV)   "The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty." (Proverbs 21:5, NIV)

Here's a word from the Word.  Meditate on it today as you ask the Spirit to help you defeat the temptation to sloth.  
"Don’t get tired of helping others. You will be rewarded when the time is right, if you don’t give up.   We should help people whenever we can, especially if they are followers of the Lord." (Galatians 6:9-10, CEV)

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Praise To The Lord, The Almighty

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty,

The King of creation!

O my soul praise Him

For He is thy health and salvation.

All ye who hear, now to His temple draw near,

Praise Him in glad adoration.

Praise to the Lord Who over all things

So wondrously reigneth!

Shelters thee under His wings

Yea, so gently sustaineth.

Hast thou not seen how thy desires ever have been

Granted in what He ordaineth?

Praise to the Lord Who doth prosper

Thy work and defend thee!

Surely His goodness and mercy here daily attend thee.

Ponder anew, what the Almighty can do,

If with His love He befriend thee.

Catherine Winkworth | Joachim Neander

© Words: Public Domain