Lazy people consider themselves smarter than seven wise counselors. PROVERBS 26:16 (NLT)

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Dreamers fantasize their self-importance; they think they are smarter than a whole college faculty.
The Message

One of our family’s favorite preachers when I was in college had earned a seminary degree. I likewise planned to attend seminary after college to pursue the Master of Divinity degree. A few well-known pastors I looked up to had earned doctoral degrees as well. Even though I was struggling to master the college courses I was taking, I was dreaming of the possibility of doctoral work one day. 

Over roast beef, mashed potatoes, and all the other sides and desserts of a Sunday dinner, I asked the guest preacher if he ever considered working on a doctoral degree. He replied, “All that does is say you know how to write a paper.” 

As it turns out, there is a lot more to it than that. 

This chapter is full of wise sayings about laziness. The truth is, all of us wrestle with laziness in one area of our lives or another. I like reading about and practicing self-improvement in the area of productivity. A well-known and widely used app is in redevelopment. I was invited to participate in testing the new features and to help decide which new features are the most important. 

My Apple News account gathers news about productivity hacks, tips, and tricks every day from a variety of publications. Daily insights sharpen the cutting edge of my abilities. One recent article stopped me dead in my tracks. It said the endless pursuit of perfection in productivity methods is a sign of laziness. 

For example, if it takes you longer to set up an app, add all your information to it, and arrange it meticulously, you may be doing nothing but avoiding the real work. 

Allow me to paraphrase a friend of mine: “Use the app; don’t let the app use you.” 

I may be really smart about apps and productivity, but if I don’t actually do anything, I am lazy. I may feel smarter than a college faculty as The Messagesays, but I am dumber than a rock at actually producing anything meaningful and helpful. 

Where do you tend to be overly meticulous? What keeps you in your easy chair rather than completing necessary tasks? It turns out there is more than one kind of laziness. There is sloth and there is the appearance of productivity. 

There is a time to sweat every detail, and there is a time to ship the product even if it is not perfect. 

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I will live a productive and effective life through focused learning and fruitful application. 

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Our Father, please deliver me from sloth and distraction. Empower me to focus on what matters most. Provide me with the tools and resources I need to accomplish what you place before me. Give me the self-discipline to get on task and stay there. Give me the self-control to flee from the temptation to go too deep in any area that is really a distraction in disguise. Amen.