Naturally, the sluggard begins the day by staying in bed when he should be starting his work. Proverbs 6:9, “How long will you lie down, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep?” Next the sluggard will invent any reason to prevent working. Proverbs 22:13, “The sluggard says, ‘There is a lion outside; I shall be slain in the streets!” Rather than beginning his work he simply pacifies himself with his preposterous excuses and return to his bed. Proverbs 26:14, “As the door turns on its hinges, so does the sluggard on his bed.” Once the sluggard finally rolls out of bed, he is even too lazy to provide for his needs to survive. Proverbs 19:24, “The sluggard buries his hand in the dish, and will not even bring it back to his mouth.” Though the sluggard may be too lazy to eat, often, due to his slothfulness, he has no food to eat. Proverbs 20:4, “The sluggard does not plow after the autumn, so he begs during the harvest and has nothing.” Eventually, his laziness leads to a lack of food, a lack of food to deteriorated health, and deteriorated health to death. Proverbs 21:25, “The desire of the sluggard puts him to death, for his hands refuse to work.” His neglect of responsibilities is evident in his health, but also in the care of his house. Proverbs 24:30-31, “I passed by the field of the sluggard, and by the vineyard of the man lacking sense; and behold, it was completely overgrown with thistles, its surface was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down.” His life is simply a selfish pursuit of his laziness. Though he may wish a nobler lifestyle, steps are never taken to accomplish his goal because he’s a dreamer. Proverbs 13:4, “The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing.” He thinks his life is okay, but unfortunately he is greatly deceived. Proverbs 26:16, “The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who can give a discreet answer.” What the sluggard really needs is stern rebuke of wisdom. The slug is compared to another animal, one that is very industrious. Proverbs 6:6-11, “Go to the ant, O sluggard, observe her ways and be wise, which, having no chief, officer or ruler, prepares her food in the summer, and gathers her provision in the harvest. How long will you lie down, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep? ‘A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest’ – and your poverty will come in like a vagabond, and your need like an armed man.”
Randy Smith

Bible – Afrikaans – 1 Korinthërs Chapter 4:1-21.

Index: Afrikaans

 

1 Korinthërs 4

[1]
[2]
[3]
[4]
[5]
[6]
[7]
[8]
[9]
[10]
[11]
[12]
[13]
[14]
[15]
[16]

4:1 So moet ons dan beskou word as dienaars van Christus en bedienaars van die verborgenhede van God.

4:2 En verder word van die bedienaars vereis dat hulle getrou bevind moet word.

4:3 Maar vir my beteken dit baie min of ek deur julle of deur ‘n menslike regbank beoordeel word; ja, ek beoordeel myself nie eens nie,

4:4 want ek is my van geen ding bewus nie. Daardeur is ek egter nie geregverdig nie; maar Hy wat my beoordeel, is die Here.

4:5 Daarom moet julle nie voor die tyd oordeel, voordat die Here kom nie, wat die verborge dinge van die duisternis in die lig sal bring en die bedoelinge van die harte openbaar sal maak; en dan sal elkeen lof van God ontvang.

4:6 Hierdie dinge, broeders, het ek op myself en Apollos toegepas om julle ontwil, dat julle aan ons kan leer om nie te dink bo wat geskrywe is nie, sodat julle nie die een ter wille van die ander opgeblase sou wees teen ‘n derde nie.

4:7 Want wie trek jou voor? En wat het jy wat jy nie ontvang het nie? En as jy dit dan ontvang het, waarom roem jy asof jy dit nie ontvang het nie?

4:8 Alreeds is julle versadig, alreeds het julle ryk geword, sonder ons het julle geheers. Het julle tog maar geheers, sodat ons saam met julle kon heers!

4:9 Want dit lyk vir my dat God ons apostels die laaste plek aangewys het as tot die dood veroordeel; want ons het ‘n skouspel geword vir die wêreld, vir die engele sowel as vir die mense.

4:10 Ons is dwaas ter wille van Christus, maar julle is verstandig in Christus. Ons is swak, maar julle sterk. Julle is in aansien, maar ons in oneer.

4:11 Tot op hierdie uur ly ons honger en dors, is ons naak en word geslaan, en swerwe ons rond,

4:12 en swoeg ons deur met ons eie hande te werk. Word ons uitgeskel, ons seën; word ons vervolg, ons verdra dit;

4:13 word ons belaster, ons troos; soos uitvaagsels van die wêreld het ons geword, die afskraapsel van almal tot nou toe.

4:14 Ek skrywe hierdie dinge nie om julle te beskaam nie, maar ek vermaan julle as my geliefde kinders.

4:15 Want al sou julle tien duisend tugmeesters in Christus hê, dan het julle tog nie baie vaders nie; want in Christus Jesus het ek julle vader geword deur die evangelie.

4:16 Ek vermaan julle dan, word my navolgers.

4:17 Daarom het ek Timótheüs, wat my geliefde en getroue seun in die Here is, na julle gestuur. Hy sal julle herinner aan my handelwyse in Christus, soos ek oral in elke gemeente leer.

4:18 Maar sommige het opgeblase geword, asof ek nie na julle sou kom nie;

4:19 tog sal ek gou na julle kom, as die Here wil, en dan sal ek te wete kom, nie die woorde van die wat opgeblase is nie, maar hulle krag;

4:20 want die koninkryk van God bestaan nie in woorde nie, maar in krag.

4:21 Wat wil julle hê? Moet ek met die roede na julle kom of met liefde en in die gees van sagmoedigheid?