As the door turns on its hinges, so does the sluggard on his bed.
How much do we sleep? Too much?
The Snooze Button is a Lose Button. The lazy toss and turn nowhere—like a door on its hinges.
Can we start the day with gusto, rather than groaning?
Repeated for Emphasis
The warning in this text appears often in Proverbs. Read the Rise and Shine Tactics in the commentary on Two Essentials for Financial Survival, on Proverbs 6:9-11. Check the Classic Comments in the commentary on Proverbs 20:13: What is the first step out of poverty? Even better, if you want to hear some music and learn more about the disaster of hiding-in-bed, and see where ancient Hebrew and American baseball meet, take a look atwhat they say about motivation and the sluggard under Translation: Sense in the commentary on Proverbs 24:33-34: How are promising resources ruined?
Evening and Morning: One Day
Back to the basics. Most of us like to think the day starts in the morning and ends in the evening. Wrong. According to our Creator, the day starts in the evening and ends in the morning (Genesis 1:5, 8, 13, 19, 23, 31). If we plan and prepare the day before, including getting proper rest and refreshment, we get more done. God has given us the optimal pattern for daily productivity—starting the day on the prior evening. By being in “ready mode” with everything set to go, we’re less likely to lie around in bed. It’s hard to learn new habits, but truly necessary.
Failing Sleep 101
Continual tossing and turning is a sign of poor sleep. Too bad! The lazy are failures even at sleeping—marginal results in and out of bed! Their comfort zone is narrow, and even that’s not really comfortable. This may stem form a deliberate habit, or vague anxieties, distracting from the real problem. If so, maybe they need to scrutinize the successes and failures of that day. A concrete plan for tomoorrow can cure many of our worries.
Our Maker, Saviour, and Friend
Jesus has strong words about worry and anxiety.
Anxiety is a major sin to be avoided, an obsession with ourselves. Seven times, directly and indirectly (Matthew 6:25-34), Jesus tells his followers not to worry, be anxious, or troubled about what may or may not happen in the future. Instead, Jesus commands full attention to today since “each day has enough trouble of its own.”
Jesus never worried. When he slept, he slept well, even in the worst conditions (Luke 8:23-24). Jesus was on a mission, not a vacation, and he always had a plan for tomorrow.
- Memorize the text in your favourite Bible translation and think about it often.
- Develop the habit of getting out of bed and dressed fast—it’s difficult, but beneficial.
- Don’t confuse activity with productivity.
- Get as little sleep as necessary to stay physically healthy and without wasting time.
Which of these steps, if any, does Jesus want you to take now? Ask Him.
Related Illustration