November 12, 2026

Business by the Book

Proverbs 21:25 The desire of the slothful killeth him; for his hands refuse to labour.

Unintended consequences! The desire to get something for nothing is as old a problem as there is in the world. Eve wanted to be as God so she partook of the forbidden fruit, the problem was she was not a god, and no amount of food could turn her into one. Achan wanted the Babylonian garment, the two hundred shekels of silver, and the wedge of gold so he took them, although his commander commanded otherwise. Ananias and Sapphira desired to make a big splash by giving such a great gift to their church. Yet, they kept back part of the money they pledged.

In each case these individuals faced awful unintended consequences for their desire. Eve, and the husband that followed her, was driven from the Garden of Eden, the only home they had known, and died spiritually. Achan lost not only his life but the life of his entire family because of his desire. Ananias and Sapphira also lost their lives because of their lie. These, and numerous other stories like theirs in the Bible illustrate the truth of today’s verse.

Sloth may not be lying, or stealing, or pride, but nonetheless it brings about awful unintended consequences. The desire of the slothful is sloth. Sloth can ultimately cause one to refuse to work. Work however is the cost of living. It takes work to feed oneself, clothe oneself, and provide for all of the required needs of life. Those who are slothful do not desire poverty, their desire is to not have to work. In fact, they grow to refuse to work.

It is true that God makes certain promises to those who help others in need, of this there is no doubt. But this verse is not one of those promises. This verse is a warning to the slothful to forsake their sloth. For at the end of the path of slothfulness is death: death of a career, a relationship, a reputation, and ultimately perhaps physical death. This verse is not contained in God’s Word to encourage the diligent, but rather to warn the slothful. They can change, they can become productive once again, they can provide for the things needed in life, they simply have to overcome the desire for sloth. Or put another way, the desire to get something for nothing. Which unfortunately is a philosophy of life that carries with it awful unintended consequences.

Until tomorrow, carry on your Business by the Book today, 

Dr. William Howe