"I went by the field of the lazy man, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding; and, behold, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles were covering its face, and its stone wall was broken down. Then I beheld and considered it well; I looked and received instructions. Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little fording of the hands to sleep – So shall your poverty come as a robber, and your want as an armed man" (Proverbs 24:30-34).

A person can have poverty in several areas. Financial poverty is only one of them. Many people have spiritual poverty, physical poverty, social poverty, or mental poverty. There are people who work hard to earn money – they are diligent at saving and want to be sure they are financially taken care of – but they are spiritually lazy and do practically nothing toward spiritual prosperity. Many people have poor health because they won’t do what they need to do to take care of themselves physically. Others have no friends or social life because they do not want to put out any effort to be friendly or build relationships. And then there are others who have mental poverty because they refuse to exercise any discipline concerning what they spend their time thinking about.

Proverbs 24 gives us a picture of a lazy man who won’t work. It says that everything he has is falling apart, and it is due to him allowing poverty to come in like a thief and robber through the open door of laziness. Laziness is a curse, because it certainly does not bring in the blessings of God. The Word of God says that man should work six days and rest one.

That gives me insight that I should be working more than resting. We definitely need to rest. We don’t want to get out of balance and become a workaholic. But in our society, there is too much emphasis placed on entertainment and leisure; and it contributes to a mentality that can lead to laziness.

Chapter 3 of Revelation gives a warning to the "lukewarm." Verse 16 says to be either hot or cold because the lukewarm are headed for trouble. Lukewarmness is a relative of laziness. A lukewarm person does just enough to stay alive but not enough to be blessed. He does what he must to barely get by.

Approximately ten years ago, God gave me a word for the church that, if people were lukewarm in the last days (which we are in), they would be devoured by the enemy. It is vital that believers are aggressive in their faith and spiritual growth. Satan initiates deadness and loves it when God’s children sink into it, becoming apathetic, lazy, and lukewarm.

This type of attitude gives the devil the upper hand. If we do not operate in godly aggression, we will suffer under satanic oppression. Revelation 3:19 tells us how we should be; it says, "…So be enthusiastic and in earnest and burning with zeal and repent [changing your mind and attitude]."

This is describing a decision and has nothing to do with feelings. The prosperous person will find himself regularly making choices that are not based on feelings but rather on wisdom. A wise person sows effort now, so he can reap benefits later.

Satan likes nothing better than a lazy Christian. He knows he can control him and prevent him from ever becoming a threat to the kingdom of darkness. The person who walks in victory must learn to use his will. God’s Word and His Spirit teach us what is right, and it is up to us to choose.

Man is created by God with a free will. He is given choices, and it is an awesome responsibility. God gives each one gifts and talents, and then waits to see what we will do with them. Those who choose to can take what they have and increase it; but the Bible teaches us that the one who does nothing with what he has will lose even that (see Matthew 25).

For a person who has been inactive for along time in any area, much effort will be required to move in the right direction. Inactivity invites passivity; and once a person becomes passive, he is no longer using his will to make decisions. He is living by feelings or the lack of them. He does something if he "feels" like it, or he doesn’t do it if he doesn’t "feel" like it. He is living out of his soul and not his spirit.

If you are having problems in these areas, recapturing your will out of the grasp of the enemy will take some diligence on your part. The less you use your will, the more lazy it becomes. It is like a muscle that has been totally inactive for a long period and then must be built back up to full strength. God has built you to be active, energetic, decisive, and creative.

We must refuse to live under the curse of laziness. God wants us to have our needs met, be sharp spiritually, have plenty of friends, and a creative, well-balanced mind. If you believe you are lacking any of these areas, I suggest that you get yourself stirred up and declare war on laziness, lukewarmness, procrastination, and passivity.

1. He is a procrastinator. He has good intentions but never gets around to doing it. He is actually deceived by his "good intentions." He thinks because he intends to do it that he is obedient, but good intentions are not obedience.
2. Proverbs 26:13 says that the lazy man seeks and talks about the problem but doesn’t offer to be part of the solution.
3. He feels tired most of the time because inactivity causes a tranquilizing effect. The more a person does nothing, the less he wants to do.
4. The lazy man will often speak in vague, uncertain terms; he doesn’t want to get committed so he avoids being direct and straightforward.
5. Proverbs 20:4 says that the sluggard (or lazy man) will not plow when it is cold – he does not want to be uncomfortable. One definition I found says that a lazy person is disinclined to exert himself. He lives a lifestyle resulting in little or no pain. He does not want to suffer or be uncomfortable.

This is a good place to remember the familiar saying, "No Pain, No Gain!" Jesus died to deliver us from a wrong type of demonic pain and suffering, but no place in the Word of God does it ever say that we can expect a life of ease with no effort on our part. We do not need the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives to sit around and do nothing.

The Bible indicates that laziness will eventually destroy a person. The Spirit which God gives us is a Spirit of power and might – not weakness and inertia. Life is a moving force, a thing that is active and flowing. We have the life of God available to us. A born-again person has that life in him to draw upon at all times. When laziness knocks at your door, answer with the life and vitality of God.

Joyce Meyer is an associate pastor at Life Christian Center in St. Louis, Missouri. She has been teaching the word of God since 1976, and is seen on Channel 45 Sundays at 6:30 p.m.