The signs are up in nearly every restaurant, storefront, and gas station: “Help Wanted”. Some stores have had to reduce their hours because of staffing shortages. While there are no fewer able-bodied people in our society, it seems like there are fewer that are willing to work. Perhaps the pandemic has caused some to live in fear of being out in the public. Perhaps the government subsidies have given people enough financial breathing room that work is no longer a necessity for them. But my fear is that many have been consumed by a spirit of complacency and laziness.

The Bible has a lot to say about this vice that so easily grips us in times like this. Take a few moments to read Proverbs 6:4-11. Here, we see three principles that combat complacency and cultivate the productive work ethic that we are meant to have in Christ.

1. Watchfulness – verses 4 & 5 tell us “give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids. Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.” I don’t do much hunting, but I can tell you one thing about all wild animals – they are always on the watch. Try to sneak up on a deer sometime. They freeze. They sniff the air. They listen. They use all their senses to detect danger that might be sneaking up on them. And if they get one small vibe that something is off, they bolt. Such is to be the case for us. We must be on guard, being watchful and cautious about our own welfare. Otherwise, we may become victim’s to Satan’s attacks. 1 Peter 5:8 tells us “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour”. Someone who is doing life in a fog of complacency is not aware of the dangers that are lurking.


2. Preparedness – verses 6 to 8 use the example of the ant for us to consider. Ants are always on the move doing something. They don’t have someone cracking the whip over them to tell them to keep at it. They are internally motivated to be prepared. As such, they are involved in planning and preparing for the future. There may become a time when there is no work available, when food become scarce, or when our physical strength fails us. The work we do today will make us ready for the day when no more work can be done. We need to keep the long-term goal in mind in order to stay motivated for the work in front of us today.


3. Diligence – “Yet a little sleep, a little slumber”. This is the excuse of the complacent. Let me hit snooze one more time. I’ll get to it tomorrow. I can watch just one more show before bed tonight. We are good at making little excuses for ourselves and procrastinating our lives away. But the Scripture calls us to be diligent and faithful. Get yourself on a schedule. Make some commitments and be faithful in them. Don’t give yourself the freedom to loaf around. Our time is short on this earth and we must make every moment count.

Yes, the complacency in our culture is sad to see. And yes, the Bible does tell us to have a work ethic. But more dangerous than the erosion of our work ethic is how an attitude of complacency has entered our walk with the Lord. We aren’t on guard spiritually. We lose focus on preparing for the eternal. We make lots of excuses in our Christian walk. Yet, the Bible tells us to “watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is” (Mark 13:33). If the Lord returned today, would He find you in the middle of a task related to building His kingdom or wallowing in a spirit of complacency and laziness? Would He find you watching and preparing for His return or living in the moment? Would He find you being diligent and faithful or making excuses about why you didn’t read your Bible, go to church, or withheld forgiveness to that one who needed Christ’s love?

As Christians, we need to wake up from our slumber. There is a “Help Wanted” sign emblazoned on the church doors. We need faithful, dedicated, committed laborers for Christ. We need to go into the hedges and highways and bring them to Christ. And, we need to be praying for more help. As Matthew 9:38 tells us, “Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.” The harvest truly is great. Let’s shake off the complacency and get shaking for the work of the Lord!