Finally, the notion of sloth does not merely apply to idleness but also to busyness. Before discussing busyness, we should note that idleness is a sinful counterfeit of God-glorifying rest. Rest is worship; idleness is not. Rest is found in coming to Christ; idleness is found in self-gratifying pursuits. The same is also true of …
Slothfulness, though, is not merely physical or intellectual. We can also be lazy and idle spiritually. Spiritual sloth means being slothful to the things of God. Primarily, we see this in our reading of Scripture and prayer, which we tend to devote little (if any) time toward. While we may say that nothing is more …
Our society may still (generally) value physical labor, but it is increasingly leaving behind intellectual labor. Leigh Bortins, in her book The Core, compares us to the early Americans by stating that “overall, the same percentage of Americans read Common Sense in the late 1770s that watch the Super Bowl today” (p. 29)! I am convinced that …
Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise. Without having any chief, officer, or ruler, she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest. How long will you lie there, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding …
God: I gave you my very Word. Why did you not meditate on it day and night (Psalm 1:2)? Man: I definitely would have, but you see, I was far too busy. God: Yet you most days watched multiple hours of television. You gave 9 years of your life to it. Man: Perhaps, but that …
The church is terribly important in the Bible. After all, it is called the body and bride of Christ. For most men, their wife and their own body come pretty high up on their list of priorities, and I believe the Bible uses those metaphors for that very reason. Today, even many otherwise theologically sound …
My son, do not despise the LORD's discipline, nor be weary of his reproof, for the LORD reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights. Proverbs 3:11-12 ESV God loves us so much that He disciplines us. That is not a fun statement. It is, however, no accident that discipline and …
Although I once gave little thought to church attendance, I now lean toward viewing serial church skipping as a sin against the congregation. If that sounds a little harsh, here are my reasons why. Consider for a moment secular organizations. No one is ever considered a part of a basketball team without having to commit …
Reading, like exercise, is something that many people do sporadically, a small population is obsessed with doing it, and almost everyone grudgingly admits to needing to do more often. With search engines, online encyclopedias, and every kind of website imaginable, information is constantly at our fingertips. But with all of these tools, I still believe …
With all prayer and supplication. Ephesians 6:18 ESV Paul’s next ALL statement is that we should pray with all prayer and supplication. Since supplication is a particular type of prayer, I believe that Paul means to use various kinds of prayer whenever we pray, with a special focus on supplication. Fortunately, throughout the Scripture, the …
B. C. Newton 