A WORD FOR TODAY, March 18, 2025
Peggy Hoppes
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Blessings. Peg
A WORD FOR TODAY, March 18, 2025
Part of my prayer life during Lent will be an examination of conscience using the seven deadly sins. I will daily pray through a number of questions for each sin: Pride, Envy, Sloth, Lust, Covetousness, Gluttony, Anger. Will you join me? Remember, this is about examining yourself, not seeing others in these questions. If you see others, consider it as a mirror and ponder your own life in light of that judgment.
This week is “Sloth.”
“I went by the field of the sluggard, by the vineyard of the man void of understanding. Behold, it was all grown over with thorns. Its surface was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down. Then I saw, and considered well. I saw, and received instruction: a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep, so your poverty will come as a robber and your want as an armed man.” Proverbs 24:30-34, WEB
We spent four years in England, and we didn’t waste a moment. We went to see every historic site we could manage. We had memberships for a couple of organizations the gave us free entry to many of the houses, palaces, and castles. When we began our quest, I expected to see castles that look like they belong in a Disney movie, with soaring turrets and beautiful stained-glass windows. I expected to see comfortably furnished homes ready for a fancy garden party or ball. There were some castles and palaces that were beautiful, places I’d love to live. However, many of the historic sites are little more than ruins or the shells of old defensive keeps, which are cold stone boxes with flat roofs and thick walls and slits for windows which were only large enough to allow a defender to shoot an arrow at an enemy. The first castle we visited was Castle Rising, which was four or five stories high, and definitely designed for defense rather than comfort.
The town of Castle Rising was at one time a very busy port. The castle controlled this port and reaped the economic benefits. Over the years, however, silt built up along the coast and after hundreds of years the castle that once lay on the coastline was several miles away from water. The port was moved, and a new town was established on the new coast. Castle Rising became obsolete. People still lived within the walls of the castle, but the building was not properly maintained. The financial advantage was gone, so they didn’t have the funds to keep things strong and beautiful. One day the wooden roof collapsed, and the family moved out. The defensive walls surrounding the compound were torn apart by the village people who used them to build a church and houses. The site now lies in ruins, home to the pigeons. There are hundreds like it around the country. Each one has its own story, and most often the lack of maintenance was the reason for its destruction.
I’ve seen adds on the Internet for whole villages for sale in Europe. These villages are so cheap that I could afford to buy one. The problem is that these villages are so poorly maintained that it would take millions of dollars to make them livable again. A corporation with plenty of capital could create beautiful resorts in these villages, but most would not take on the risk. So, those castles and villages will continue to degrade since there is no one who can, or will, take on the challenge to restore them.
The proverb for today is a lesson for us about taking care of the things that belong to us. The sluggard was too lazy to do what needed to be done for the field to produce good fruit. Ongoing labor is necessary to the path of wisdom. This does not mean that we should not rest from our labors, but that we do not let laziness become our way of life because it will lead to ruin.
One of the things I have found interesting about my Lent meditation on the seven deadly sins is that I went into this practice thinking myself not guilty of any of them. I am sure most of my readers think similarly. So far we have talked about pride which is an untrue opinion of ourselves, an untrue idea of what we are not, and envy which is a sadness which we feel, on account of the good that happens to our neighbor. I don’t think I think of myself greater than my neighbor and I don’t envy what they have. The questions each week make us look more deeply at how we live our lives. I confess that several of them have make me think twice about my opinion of myself. I am guilty. We all are. The thing we have to remember is that the opposite of the seven deadly sins are not virtues, but are the inverse to an extreme. The opposite of pride is self-loathing, which is as inappropriate for a Christian as pride because God created you, saved you, loves you. The virtue is true humility, which first and foremost is about recognizing our dependence on God and others, and prioritizing their needs over our own.
In the Examination of Conscience, sloth is defined as “a kind of cowardice and disgust, which makes us neglect and omit our duties, rather than to discipline ourselves.” The opposite of sloth is workaholism, which is no better. The virtue is diligence. So, as we consider our own sloth we ask the questions: Have I an inordinate love of rest, neglecting my duties? Do I act lazily? Am I too fond of rest? Do I take lazy positions in answering prayers? Do I kneel in a lounging way? Do I delight in idle conversation? Do I fail to be fervent in the service of God?
I am not slothful, though I can’t say I’m a workaholic. I’ve had friend tell me that they are jealous of my energy. I am always busy, though I do know how to rest. Am I guilty of sloth? I confess that I am. I am not always diligent about doing the work that God is calling me to do. I let my “temple” fall apart. I do not spend enough time devoted to prayer. I grumble when it is time to read my daily devotions.
Our lives take maintenance. We must eat properly and exercise to keep our physical body in shape. We must have social and intellectual pursuits to maintain our heart and mind. Our Christian life also needs maintenance. We must worship God and fellowship with other believers, spend time in prayer and Bible study. If we do not work at keeping our body, heart, mind, and spirit strong, weeds and destruction will overtake our lives. By the power of God’s Holy Spirit, in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, do all you can to maintain your life, to the Glory of God the Father.
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