March 20, 2026

Business by the Book

Romans 12:11 Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;

Through the Apostle Paul, the Lord strikes straight at the heart of success:  Not slothful in business. The word slothful conjures up visions of a slug. Remember those slimy, slippery, creatures that we used to pour salt on when we were kids just to see them shrivel up? A slug never seems to be industrious, but rather lazy, lackadaisical, lethargic, lackluster, and languid. Upon thought, those five words could describe many workers today.

To get ahead, win the race, earn success, accomplish the task, and maximize potential one must not be slothful in their business. Successful people are busy people. Perhaps you’ve heard of the 80/20 rule. This make-believe rule says that 80% of the work in any endeavor is performed by only 20% of the workforce. This means that 80% of the workforce is probably slothful. While it is impossible to calculate the exact percentage, careful examination makes it clear that the majority of real work in any organization is done by a minority of the workers.

In my life, I have been privileged to be a part of three wonderful organizations:  Boy Scouts, churches, and businesses (both small and large). In each of these organizations the minority of those involved performed the vast majority of the work. This is not necessarily saying that all those who did not do the majority of the work were slothful. Some were unable, uninterested, or preoccupied. However, on behalf of the small population that did the majority of the work, I can say that the prevailing attitude was that those who did not put their shoulders to the work were considered slothful at worst and freeloaders at best.

However consider a different attitude toward those who do little work in your organization. Those who do the majority of the work benefit greatly. These are the ones who are promotable; they have a high level of job satisfaction when the job is done. These are the ones who have no trouble sleeping because they are tired. These are the ones who do not have to come up with lame excuses for not working, and they will be rewarded for their effort, for God always rewards obedience to His Word. Yes, if you are in the 20% doing the 80%, good things are on the horizon. The majority crowd that demonstrates indications of slothfulness makes you look good in comparison. Without them your strong work ethic may not be noticed, everyone would be average, and no benefit would come from industriousness. Yes, a thousand times yes, slothful individuals are of value to all hard workers.

Thank you to all sloths everywhere.

Dr. William Howe