Proverbs 22:13
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The slothful man saith, There is a lion without, I shall be slain in the streets.
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Challenges are opportunities to the diligent, excuses to the slothful. Adversity means a little more effort to the diligent, but it quickly defeats the slothful. Any difficulty is enough for him to cancel his plans and quit, for the lion in the streets might slay him!
He desires all the good things of life, but his hands refuse to labor (19:24; 21:25), so he must make up ridiculous excuses to justify himself. He loves to remain motionless; he prefers the bed to any other place (6:9-10). He dreads the thought of change, exertion, persistence, and pain. Though he and all wise men know that lions prefer the hills and woods, he makes up preposterous pretenses to avoid work! See the comments on 19:24.
These are the words of the slothful man. He does not truly believe the city streets are this bad, but he uses this wild excuse to cover his slothfulness to others. The explanations men have used to justify laziness and procrastination are Legion. As long as slothful men live on the earth, lions and other dangerous beasts will roam city streets and threaten their lives! Such excuses are so common, the LORD left a twin for this proverb (26:13)!
Seven men with good reasons proving a lion is not in the streets are not enough to overthrow the conceited excuses of a slothful man (26:16). He has convinced himself of failure, in order to keep from making an effort; the sound reasoning of diligent men is easily brushed aside! The ingenuity of lazy men to frame defenses for not doing their duty is marvelous! They can explain away their responsibilities with a thousand excuses.
His lazy lie may become a self-fulfilling prophecy, for the way of the slothful is as an hedge of thorns (15:19). The more the slothful man considers the difficulty of a project, the more difficult it becomes! His half-hearted efforts make even anthills seem like mountains! He fears the lion without, but forgets the lion within; who beguiles his soul into perpetual sleep, both for success in this world and success in the world to come.
Procrastination and hypochondria are sins. Both are excuses of cowardly and lazy men (Rom 12:11). Ask a lazy man why he isn't happy, and he will fill your ears with his aches and pains. You would think Job exists in every generation! Ask a lazy man why he didn't finish the job today, and he will fill your ears with how tomorrow is better and a sure thing. The problem is he will say the same or similar things tomorrow about the next day!
What is the cure for fear and sloth? Get out in the street! Charge your duties with zeal! It will amaze you how empty the streets are of opposition, when you face them head on!
Ten fearful and slothful spies forgot the works of God in delivering them from Egypt and told the nation that Canaan was too difficult for them to take (Num 13:26-33). Instead of the lion in the streets, they used the giants and grasshoppers excuse. "And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight" (Num 13:33). Poor boys! They died in the wilderness for their lack of faith and diligence to take the promise land!
Jesus gave varied talents to three men (Matt 25:14-30). Two invested theirs and earned a nice return and the high praise of their lord. The other was a slothful loser, who buried his talent in the ground, out of intimidation and slothfulness. His excuse was that his Lord was too severe in His expectations! Poor boy! His talent was taken away and given to the man with ten. The rich get richer, and the poor get poorer in the kingdom of Christ!
Our Lord has called us to carry our cross daily (Luke 9:23). How shall we respond? Shall we dread the effort and shrink from our profession into carnal backsliding (Phil 3:18-19; Heb 10:38-39)? Or shall we count up the cost and labor to pay it in full for the glory of our beloved paymaster (Luke 14:25-33)? Will you take it up today, reader?
If you see a lion in the way of either natural or spiritual projects, remember His precious promise, "Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet" (Ps 91:13). Let it never be said of you, "The children of Ephraim, being armed, and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle" (Ps 78:9).
The promises of God are obtained by the zealous, not the slothful (Heb 6:9-12). Jesus obtained His crown by facing and enduring the lion in several encounters (Ps 22:11-21; Matt 4:1-11; Heb 12:1-3)! Rejoice, reader, that He did not hide from the lion without, or you would die in your sins! Consider His example and follow it in all your duties!
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