A Lion Ate My Homework!

• Have you ever made up a silly excuse to get out of work? Share that experience.

• What do you think God wants us to do when we don’t “feel” like working?

The sluggard says, “There’s a lion outside! I’ll be killed in the public square!”
Proverbs 22:13

King Solomon makes a joke here at the lazy person’s expense: “I can’t go to work! I may be eaten by a lion before I ever get there!” We know this is ridiculous, but we have also likely heard equally ridiculous excuses come out of people who do not want to do their work.

The truth is that we make excuses to avoid admitting that we are being lazy. Lazy people make excuses because they are ashamed of their laziness. No one really wants to be lazy—laziness is just a sin that many people struggle with.

Instead of making excuses, when we are tempted to be lazy, we should ask God for help. He doesn’t want us to be lazy, and he will help us get our work boots on.

We’ve all been lazy at some point. We all make mistakes. But we don’t have to make excuses. Let’s turn those excuses into prayers.

PRAYER
Dear God, please help us to work hard and to find satisfaction in serving you. And if we do succumb to the temptation of laziness, remind us to come to you instead of making excuses. Amen.