The Lazy Man Makes Excuses

Discipleship Devotional, May 6th, 2025

The lazy person claims, “There’s a lion on the road! Yes, I’m sure there’s a lion out there!” As a door swings back and forth on its hinges, so the lazy person turns over in bed.
— Proverbs 26:13-14 (NLT)

Our anchor text emphasizes how lazy people actively seek excuses to evade their responsibilities. Such individuals often resort to presenting bogus reasons, as we observe in our anchor text. They habitually rely on excuses that hinder them from being responsible for any task they undertake. The example in our anchor text features a lazy individual who refuses to engage in fieldwork, claiming that a lion roams the streets. While it is true that challenges may sometimes hinder our endeavors, a slothful person employs every possible circumstance as an excuse to avoid responsibility.

In the next verse, we are told why they make such excuses for everything. It is so that they can continue to roll on their bed. They will turn on their bed as a door turns on its hinges. God encourages us to resist this inclination. To be effective in all our pursuits, we must dismiss the tendency to make excuses. Making excuses for everything is one of the marks of a lazy and irresponsible person.

Some of us give excuses when we are asked to take up any spiritual responsibility. When you ask some believers to come out for evangelism or take up any other task, the bogus excuses fly out. This sort of attitude will only do such people harm in the future. Today we are admonished to shun laziness and excuses and take upon ourselves the responsibility that God has given us. This is for both your spiritual and natural responsibilities.

Prayer:

Help me, Lord, not to give excuses for my responsibilities. Help me to be hard-working this year.