The Evil of Idleness

Proverbs 31:27

She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.

One of the great qualities of the virtuous woman was that she was not an idle person. Instead of being idle, she was very industrious with her life. This lady kept herself busy, and that mindset is what made her the virtuous woman.

Nobody has lived a good and productive life who ate the bread of idleness. There is a true saying, “Idle time is the Devil's workshop.” Those who keep their lives from sin and live productive lives are not different from those who live lives of sin and find their lives a wreck. The difference between the two is that one stays busy while the other does not. The one that stays busy does not have time to get themselves in trouble. It is not that they don't have the same flesh that would yield to Satan's temptation if they had idle time; rather, they are so busy that they don't have time to listen to Satan's temptation, and that is why they live productive lives that are not hindered by sin. Let me share several evils that idleness will bring to your life.

First, it wastes your life. You will never live a full life when you don't do anything. Any time you fill with idleness is time that keeps your life from making an impact for God and right. Time is a gift from God; therefore, don't waste it by being idle.

Second, it leads to a lack in life. Those who don't have anything in life are those who are not industrious. You cannot sit around and expect your needs to be met. If you don't want to lack in life, then you must be a person who works.

Third, it creates a lazy person. Idle people are lazy people. You will never find a productive person who sits idle. If you want to avoid being a lazy person, then stay busy building something all the time.

Fourth, it creates an entitled person. Entitled people are those who are idle and never have to work for anything they get. Entitled people are a burden on society and their families, and are often a result of living a life of idleness. You cannot please God by being an entitled person expecting everyone to provide for your needs.

Fifth, it leads to sin. When you have idle time, you have time to think about sin. The greatest way to keep from sin is to stay so busy that all your mind has time to think about is the work you are doing. You are flesh, and your flesh will revert to sin if you live an idle life.

Sixth, it destroys God’s purpose in your life. You will never fulfill God's purpose for putting you on this earth by being idle. God's purpose in your life will only be fulfilled by working and building something for God. If you sit and play and do nothing in life, God's purpose will be wasted, and souls will go to Hell because you have been idle.

Seventh, it leads to an empty life. One day, your life will end, and it will either reveal a life of great good that you produced or a life of idleness, because there will be nothing to talk about, nothing to show for what you have done with your life. It is a sad day when people live a whole life and have not built anything of lasting value for the next generation to carry on. Empty lives are often a result of idle lives; productive and life-changing lives are a result of living for God and working hard. If you want your life to count, stay busy and never allow idleness in your life.