Resting on your laurels

“Laziness brings on deep sleep, and the shiftless man goes hungry.” Proverbs 19:15

Resting on your laurels means to be content with past accomplishments so no further efforts are made, to be complacent. This dates back to ancient Greece when victorious Olympians were awarded a crown of laurel greenery.

Mama was always a hard worker. When she was fourteen, she was put to work at the mill because she was caught smoking. Her Daddy said if she was old enough to smoke, she was old enough to work, so a strong work ethic was instilled in her from an early age.

Thankfully we now have child labor laws but there’s a real issue with people not wanting to work these days. I know when I was in college, I had a part-time job. Even though we live near a college town, employers still have a hard time keeping adequate staff.

Scripture speaks very strongly against being lazy and idle. The Christian’s life-style should be characterized by being a hard worker so we can provide for ourselves. Proverbs 6:6 says, “Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise!” I think it’s interesting how the psalmist compares us to an ant. They’re fascinating insects because they work diligently to forage for food, burrow tunnels and store up food to survive through winter.

We can’t become complacent by resting on our laurels because working hard is the antidote to poverty. God has given us the ability to make provisions for ourselves so we in turn are able to help others who can’t help themselves. God blesses us when we honor Him by serving others.