Tag: Lazy

Diligence vs. Laziness

Commonplace –

“He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich” (Proverbs 10:4)

In Proverbs 10:4, Solomon addresses the importance of being a diligent worker versus being lazy; a diligent hand makes one rich. Here we see that Solomon is not against wealth. He is against attaining wealth through wicked means, as he previously mentioned in Proverbs 10:2, “Treasures from wickedness profit nothing” and Proverbs 10:3, the Lord casts “away the substance of the wicked”. He encourages his listeners to embrace hard work.

While the ancient Israelites measured success by the fruit of honest labor, today’s popular discourse often equates a good life with the amount of leisure and entertainment we can pack into it. Much of our modern day focus is on ‘having fun’, which is centered on diversion, which could mean anything, such as: blogging, video games, sports, hobbies, social media scrolling, etc. Diversion can enrich life, yet we must ask: why do we seek it? When considering Proverbs 10:4, it’s important to remember that being diligent is not simply related to acquiring and accumulating material wealth. Whether we’re studying Scripture, pursuing a degree, caring for our families, or fixing a leaky faucet, each task becomes an act of worship when approached with intentional effort. Understanding our objective in our diversions changes our perspective on what it means to ‘have fun’ and how we ‘spend’ leisure time.

To go along with our discussion, here are some thoughts from Matthew Henry’s Commentary on Proverbs 10:4 and who is likely “in a fair way to become rich” (690).

“those who are diligent and honest, who are careful about their affairs, and, what their hands find to do, do it with all their might, in a fair and honourable way, those are likely to increase what they have” (690).

Proverbs 10:4 is a call to reflect on our personal activities. We are only allotted a certain amount of time in life. Where we are spending it? Is that the best use of it?

Works Cited

Henry, Matthew. “Proverbs 10:4.” Matthew Henry’s Commentary On the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition. Volume 3 and Volume 6, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., March 1996.

Holy Bible: Giant Print with Study Aids. Dugan Publishers, Inc., 1984.

© 2025 Angela Hormberg