I remember watching a particular Hollywood screen play more than fifty-years ago on our TV at home. The story was set at a southern plantation in the USA: A young negro slave was walking along a dusty road when a rider on a horse approached from the opposite direction and stopped in front of him. Speaking in a friendly tone, the rider enquired, “Boy… What’s your name?” Looking downward to avoid making eye-contact with the man the young salve said, “Bones.”  The rider then asked, “What’s your first name?” The slave replied, “Lay-zeee.”

In this fictional story, “Lazy Bones” was most probably a well-deserved name given to the slave by his owner as the name indicated his slave’s attitude to work. The slave, perhaps, was in the habit of forgetting to do certain tasks assigned to him or would not complete them in a reasonable manner or time.
 
Friends, I am yet to come across anyone named, ‘Lazy Bones’. I have, however, come across many people whose attitude to work is such that they are deserving of that name. Lazy people spend more time and energy in thinking of ways of how to avoid work than rolling up their sleeves and doing what needs to be done. Although the attitude of laziness is widely observed in the work-place, it’s fostered from an early age in the home.
 
Parents are largely responsible for breeding our present-day, ‘lazy generation’. Many of the young of today are permitted to ‘get a lot’ without having to ‘give much’, if anything. Laziness is not a character trait worth cultivating… it’s a facet of our sin-nature. Laziness is a selfish attitude that robs the individual of their potential in life and severely taxes families, and the world. 
 
Have you wondered what God’s attitude is towards the ‘lazy bones’ of this world? My New Living Translation version of the Bible lists twenty-six references of the word ‘lazy’. Here are several: “But you, lazybones, how long will you sleep? When will you wake up?” (Prov. 6:9), “Lazy people irritate their employers, like vinegar to the teeth or smoke in the eyes” (10:26), “Work hard and become a leader; be lazy and become a slave.” (12:24).
 
Although the Lord is our Jehovah Jireh (God Provider), we have a part to play before we can expect to receive from Him essential provisions for life. We have work to do! We can’t afford to lounge around like young chicks in a nest, waiting for mumma-bird to return from fossicking in the wild to drop into our wide-open mouths’ fat, succulent worms. Instinctively, when mumma-bird considers her baby chicks are capable of flying and foraging for food she kicks them out of the nest and screams out, “fly or die… forage or starve!” Many parents today can learn a lesson or two from mumma-bird!
 
Adam’s job description in the Garden of Eden was to tend and watch over it (Gen. 2:11). Our job description in life is to make disciples through “playing our parts well”. Every believer is a steward of the things of God entrusted into their care. One day we will have to give an account of the ways we have managed God’s things (our lives, spiritual gifts, possessions, positions, etc.). In the parable of the three servants, Jesus pronounced a severe indictment against the servant who did nothing with that which had been entrusted into his management…“You wicked and lazy servant!” said Jesus … “Throw this useless servant into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matt. 25:26, 30).
 
Friends, following Jesus is not natural, nor easy… it’s the greatest of all challenges in life! Please be careful not to be a Mr. Bones, and be careful not to produce lazy-bones successors. The Apostle Paul issued this warning… “Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically” (Rom. 12:11). Please note, Satan will not give up from tempting us to be lazy… lazy in prayer, lazy in our investigations of God’s truths, and lazy in our every-day service to God. Do your best to be like Jesus who did not come into our world to be served, but to serve and gave His life as a ransom for you, me, and others whose faith has Jesus as their Lord, and Saviour (Matt. 20:28). Don’t be a Mr. Bones.
 
Best wishes
Bill