SLUGGARDS AND SENSIBLE SOLUTIONS

The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who can answer sensibly. —Proverbs 26:16

My daughter was in the city recently and a man came up to her open window and asked for money. She told him she did not have any cash, but he persisted. Finally he left. I am not sure of this particular man’s situation, but being aggressive as he was is not how you ask for help. Was this man really needed, was he a drug addict or was there some other difficulty happening in his life?

There are those who do use the system. They seek to get something for nothing. They are able to work but in their own mind they think they are wise to “milk” the system and “bilk” the taxpayers. I know of those who do this. One day I overheard one woman talking to another and mentioned where she could get “free money.” For those who are truly needy, the system is there to help them, but then there are the sluggards who won’t listen to anyone who encourages them out of their laziness and to get a job.

Star Parker spent 7 years on welfare and she has quite the story. It is quite unfortunate that the government is a very large part of this dependency problem. They should listen to sensible solutions! https://www.urbancure.org/starparker.asp & https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqtE-f0yZoA

Work for Welfare encourages those who can work to do so. The State of Maine saw a “significant drop from 12,000 enrollees to just over 2,500” after it started this Work for Welfare program http://www.usherald.com/maine-welfare-recipients-must-work-for-their-benefits/. This is what the government should be doing to help people out of their dependence on government and not to give people an easy excuse not to work by just giving government aid. Again, for those who sincerely need help, let’s help them. But for those who are just being lazy, let’s help them to fend for themselves. We are talking about people who are able to work but are just making the choice not to— “Those unwilling to work will not get to eat” (II Thessalonians 3:10). Laziness is destructive — “Laziness leads to a sagging roof; idleness leads to a leaky house” (Ecclesiastes 10:18).

Surely the church— all those who have truly trusted the Lord Jesus Christ— are to set the example of not being idle and lazy— “Yet we hear that some of you are living idle lives, refusing to work and meddling in other people’s business” (II Thessalonians 3:11) and again as stated in II Thessalonians 3:10— “Even while we were with you, we gave you this command: “Those unwilling to work will not get to eat.” Unfortunately, there are those who just won’t listen and think they are wiser than the seven who encourage sensible solutions. But let us keep seeking to encourage because there are those who will listen as Star Parker did after seven years of government dependence.

Dear Father, oh that I would not be lazy, but faithfully about Your business day by day wherever I am. Please help me to be a faithful servant of Yours for Your honor and glory. Oh, that I would honor the Lord Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit. May it be so.