Beware Killer Sox

(Proverbs 21:25 KJV)  The desire of the slothful killeth him; for his hands refuse to labour.

Have you ever seen the bumper sticker that says, “I want, I want, I want...”?  Think of it as a death chant.  “Desire” (8378) is used seven times in Proverbs.  The other six times it is used positively.  The problem is not in the desire but the attitude that surrounds it.  Take, for instance, this verse.

(Proverbs 11:23 KJV)  The desire of the righteous is only good: but the expectation of the wicked is wrath.

So we have the same desire producing death and good.  The difference is in the heart of the desirer.  The killer here is laziness.  Not being willing to work is a death sentence.  In our modern culture with our safety nets it doesn’t mean that your body will die but it is even worse.  Your joy of living and potential are murdered by the simple device of expecting others to do the work.

So?  There is a reason that sloth is one of the deadly sins.  For me the danger is a drift not a tsunami.  My problem is the little decisions that move me toward being a sluggard.  So I must learn to pick up my sox or die.