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Masterly Inactivity
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Proverbs 20:4 The lazy person does not plough in season; harvest comes, and there is nothing to be found.
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Download audio fileHow often have you been at an impasse on some important issue in your life – a relationship, something at work, your finances – and you just kind of sit there, almost paralysed, not knowing what to do?
You know, when people run into a road-block like that, one of the most common responses is to do nothing. The shock, the fear and the uncertainty conspire together to immobilise us.
In the well-known British comedy series, “Yes Minister”. There’s a senior public servant Sir Humphrey Appleby who turns doing nothing into an art form. He calls it “masterly inactivity”.
Of course, there are times when we have to wait to see how things turn out. But all to often, we just sit there, immobilised. We just do nothing, expecting things to change, expecting things to get better. And then we get into this rut of laziness – sitting on the sofa waiting for the answer to drop right on down out of heaven.
What’s God’s take on that? Should we just sit there and wait for Him to deal with it, or should we get off our backsides and do something about it?
The lazy person does not plough in season; harvest comes, and there is nothing to be found. (Proverbs 20:4)
It’s an interesting way of putting it. Because when it comes to growing a crop and reaping a harvest, there are some things that are within the farmer’s control, and there are some that aren’t.
I mean, imagine a farmer who doesn’t plough and sow his field at the right time of the year, and then at harvest time, he goes out and expects to see all this ripe corn in his field. And then, he goes in and complains to his wife that there’s no corn this year! Crazy right?
But at the same time, there are some things that are completely outside the farmer’s control: whether or not the rains come at the right time; whether or not a plague of locusts destroys his crops.
It seems to me that what God expects is for you and me to do the things that we’re capable of doing. Ploughing the ground, planting the seeds. And then, to leave to Him the things that only He can do – bringing the rains, protecting the crop.
When you look at it that way, you know, you have to get off your backside and do your bit. You just can’t over-spiritualise life and expect God to do it all.
That’s a great piece of wisdom isn’t it?!
The lazy person does not plough in season; harvest comes, and there is nothing to be found. (Proverbs 20:4)
That’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.
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