# 3

The whole chapter is a warning against idleness. It doesn’t pull any punches. The proverbs have a lot to say about sluggards and we see it reiterated here. There are some hard things here which I struggle with. Not associating with idle people is the hardest for me. I’ve had a pretty easy going nature. I like overlooking things. Paul’s instruction is one I find hard. But the more I think about it the more I think I understand. Laziness really is a scandalous thing and we shouldn’t be tolerant of it. It’s such a temptation to be lazy and hanging around with lazy people increases the temptation. Idleness means less food and money has to be shared around with people who could have made a contribution instead of being on the take. How can we be generous if we’re just looking for handouts?