Is laziness a sin?
Now, there’s a thought that will grab your attention in a hurry – could one’s laziness actually be a sin? Well, let’s look at a few Bible passages and see what reasonable conclusion can be drawn. First, look at this principle in Proverbs 20:13 – “Do not love sleep, lest you come to poverty…” There’s nothing wrong with sleeping, but what about loving it too much?
Christians are commanded in Romans 12 to be “not lagging (or slothful, ASV) in diligence,” but to be “fervent in spirit, serving the Lord” (12:11). In God’s estimation, one is either “slothful” in his service or “fervent” in his service. (With God, there is no “middle ground.”) The same Greek root for “slothful” is found in the Parable of the Talents. The servant who received one talent buried it in the ground and did nothing with his talent (Matt. 25:28). You remember the Master’s response, “You wicked and lazy servant…cast [him] into the outer darkness” (25:26-30).
Put these thoughts of God together. Does He give us the answer? “Is laziness a sin?”