By Matt Osborne, Staff Writer
If you are an avid fan of the National Football League, you may have noticed that the way most teams handle preseason football has changed in recent years.
For decades, teams would incrementally increase the amount of reps that starters received in preseason contests. Although starters played only a few series during the preseason opener, they remained active most of the third preseason contest before sitting out the final exhibition.
That trend appears to be a thing of the past. Many NFL teams have decided that getting their starters some extra reps in the preseason is not worth the potential for a serious injury.
While specific teams are choosing to give their starters more reps than others, some teams have severely limited the reps their starting unit receives. Certain franchises have decided to withhold key players from all preseason contests and are just standing on the sidelines.
Whether or not you think opting to keep starters on the bench during the preseason is a wise or foolish decision, we are witnessing with increasing frequency that teams are not putting their best foot forward in the preseason.
As followers of Jesus, we have to admit that there are times when we are tempted not to put our best foot forward and choose not to get in the game.
We may feel tired or overworked and think dialing it back with our effort is okay. (Yes, proper rest is important, and we must consider it!)
Other times, a lack of motivation or a sense of lack of purpose results in low energy and a lack of commitment to work diligently.
Unfortunately, sheer laziness often causes our lack of effort. We want to relax and take it easy, so we selfishly decide to hold back to satisfy our own cravings.
Throughout the Bible, however, we see warnings about the dangers of laziness.
Proverbs 13:4 (LSB) says, “The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, But the soul of the diligent is enriched.”
Proverbs 18:9 (NLT) adds, “A lazy person is as bad as someone who destroys things.”
The book of Proverbs makes it clear that there is a connection between laziness and a lack of prosperity in all areas of life. We should expect the results to suffer when we fail to work diligently in any area of our lives—whether at our job, parenting, marriage, or spiritual disciplines.
Though God can sovereignly work things for good despite our potential laziness, He has established a general principle that the more effort we put into a task, the better the outcomes will be.
Not only can laziness prevent us from flourishing in our daily lives, but it can also cause us to fall into sin and prevent us from giving God the glory He is due.
God expects us to work heartily at the tasks He’s given us. When we fail to do so, we dishonor Him as we treat His providence in our life with contempt.
Colossians 3:23 (ESV) gives us this command: “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.”
No matter the task, our efforts should demonstrate that we are working at that task for the primary reason of glorifying God. Even if we don’t find our work pleasing in our flesh, we can still serve the Lord joyfully as we reflect that our efforts glorify God.
Today, let’s resist the temptation of laziness and stand on the sidelines. Instead, let’s work hard at the task before us to glorify God in all we do.
I’m Matt Osborne, and you can UNPACK that!
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, forgive me for the times I have been lazy. Please help me have a proper attitude in everything I do and consistently work hard for Your glory. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.
