Proverbs for the Soul

Proverbs 19:15-16(KJV):
15 Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall suffer hunger.
16 He that keepeth the commandment keepeth his own soul; but he that despiseth his ways shall die.

Proverbs 19:15-16(NIV):
15 Laziness brings on deep sleep, and the shiftless man goes hungry.
16 He who obeys instructions guards his soul, but he who is contemptuous of his ways will die.

Proverbs records the fate of those who are lazy and idle. They will have no money to buy food and will go hungry. These scriptures also state that those who break the commandments and refuse instruction will die. As parents, we must instill good work habits in our children while they are young so they do not become lazy and slothful.

Many of the younger generation were not taught proper work habits and now have difficulty in holding a job. Children's messy rooms are a symptom of how a generation of parents has neglected to teach their children this truth while they were growing up.

We are instructed in Proverbs 22:6 to "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when his is old, he will not depart from it."

The key in this verse is the word "training." Training involves more than just teaching. The best teachers teach not only the procedure for doing a job, but also a set of values for producing that job.

Whatever reasons we give for our neglect in training our children, the truth is we did not take the time needed to train our children properly. We are a world in a hurry which is a big hindrance to good workmanship. Slothfulness, shoddy workmanship and disorganization reflect a lack of caring. Many people take short cuts that hamper the quality of the job, just to finish the task so they can eliminate any problems of the moment. Later the job must be repeated which wastes time because the job was not done right the first time.

We need to teach our children not only how to do a good job, but also train them to do their best. Teaching is simply communicating knowledge, while training involves conveying a value system. Good teachers who teach moral values along with proper instruction produce quality schooling and the best workers.

If we as parents compromise in our lifestyles and work ethics before our children then we communicate those ideas to them. If we have been deceived or perhaps have just become negligent in any area pertaining to our work ethics, we could be guilty of hurting our children or our witness for the Lord.

Verse 16 states the consequences of a disobedient and undisciplined lifestyle. If we do not learn early to keep the law and obey the Word of God, it will ultimately lead to our death. Children that are taught the simplest rules such as "do not cross the street when the light is red" will not get run over. Failure to obey this instruction can result in a child being run over and killed.We must strive to keep the rules ourselves and teach our children to do likewise if we want to live a long life.

Exodus 20:12 "Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee."

Dear Father, Thank you for giving us work to do. A good occupation brings satisfaction to our lives when we are faithful to do a good days work. Lord, help this generation to be diligent workers and deliver us all from sloth. Help us teach our children how to be good workers too. Deliver us from the sin of laziness. Also, Lord, keep us from the opposite sin, the sin of being a workaholic. May we be balanced in our work and play. I ask this in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.