The sluggard does not plow in the autumn; he will seek at harvest and have nothing. – Proverbs 20:4
Here is how Proverbs describes the sluggard, or the unproductive person:
He is slow to start
The sluggard does not plow in the autumn (20:4). This draws attention to the long-term effects of putting off the things we need to do. There is a season for plowing, for sowing, and for reaping. Plowing is hard work, and the sluggard does not want to do it. He procrastinates. “It’s not good weather today. I’ll get around to it tomorrow.”
He is easily distracted
He who follows worthless pursuits will have plenty of poverty (28:19). The sluggard lacks focus. The person who is fascinated with everything achieves nothing. Through a thousand small concessions to his own flesh, he never gets around to doing what God has called him to do.
He doesn’t finish
Whoever is slothful will not roast his game, but the diligent man will get precious wealth (12:27). Clearly, the person who is slow to start and is easily distracted won’t be able to finish. The pattern of his life is that he is always moving on to something else. Something new catches his eye and off he goes, leaving a trail of unfinished business.
He never rests
This is surprising because he is hinged to his bed! But the irony is that the person who keeps putting off what needs to be done never rests. God rested when He had completed His work. And the price of putting off what God has called you to do is that you never really rest.
“The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied” (13:4). Laziness will empty your wallet, but it will do something worse: Laziness will destroy your soul.
Would you say you struggle more with getting started, being distracted, or finishing the job?
