Proverbs 10:26
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As vinegar to the teeth, and as smoke to the eyes, so is the sluggard to them that send him.
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What is a sluggard? Let The Oxford English Dictionary give us the sense of this word.
Sluggard. One who is naturally or habitually slow, lazy, or idle; one who is disinclined for work or exertion; a slothful or indolent person.
A sluggard is a slow and lazy person. Instead of being energetic, fast, and diligent, they dawdle through life in first or second gear without a godly sense of urgency. Paul knew the Cretians were this way, so he told Titus to rebuke the "slow bellies" (Titus 1:12-13).
Dear reader, how do you approach the day's duties? As a high-energy, fast-working, diligent worker? Or are you an "I'm-here-ain't-I" and an "I-need-to-pace-myself" loser? There isn't any work in the grave, and you will miss it; so get diligent now (Eccl 9:10)!
Sluggards do not think ahead to get a sense of urgency (6:6); sluggards love to sleep (6:9-11); sluggards want more without the effort to get it (13:4); sluggards are discouraged by slight hindrances (20:4); and the sluggard always has reasons to excuse himself (26:16).
Employers cringe to see employees standing around, walking slowly, talking instead of working, pacing themselves through a job, avoiding the next task, taking another break, and other sluggardly sins. As vinegar causes teeth to ache and smoke causes eyes to water, so a sluggard irritates and hurts his employer, or anyone else counting on him.
Who is relying on you today? An employer? Parents? A husband? The Lord? Success and praise are as simple as keeping vinegar and smoke away from them. Get out of bed, attack your duties, think ahead, and keep moving (10:4; 12:24; 22:29; I Kings 11:28). Even ungodly men will reward the diligent. So get busy . . . now! Success for a Christian young man in this world is simple: work hard; work fast; finish the job. And take note, the virtuous woman is more a hard worker than anything else (31:10-31).
Our Lord Jesus was no sluggard. He always pleased His Father (John 8:29); finished every assignment (John 4:34); was extremely zealous (John 2:17), prepared for the horrible job in Jerusalem (Luke 9:51), and depised the painful shame of it (Heb 12:2).
"It's hard to get good help these days," employers often say to each other, complaining about the scarcity of fast, hard working employees. If this proverb were taught in school instead of liberal arts and entertainment, there would be many more diligent employees.
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