A sloth is a slow-moving tropical American mammal that hangs upside down from the branches of trees using its long limbs and hooked claws. Flanders and Swann wrote a wonderful song about the sloth which says,
‘A Bradypus, or Sloth, am I,
I live a life of ease
Contented not to do or die,
But idle as I please
I have three toes on either foot, or half a doz on both
With leaves and fruits, and shoots to eat,
How sweet to be a Sloth.
The world is such a cheerful place
When viewed from upside-down;
It makes a rise of every fall,
A smile of every frown;
I watch the fleeting flutter by
Of butterfly or moth
And think of all the things I’d try
If I were not a Sloth.
I could climb the very highest Himalayas,
Be among the greatest ever tennis players,
Win at chess or marry a Princess or
Study hard and be an eminent professor.
I could be a millionaire, play the clarinet,
Travel everywhere,
Learn to cook, catch a crook,
Win a war then write a book about it.
I could paint a Mona Lisa,
I could be another Caesar.
Compose an oratorio that was sublime.
The door’s not shut on my genius but
I just don’t have the time!
For days and days among the trees
I sleep and dream and doze
Just gently swaying in the breeze
Suspended by my toes
While eager beavers overhead
Rush through the undergrowth
I watch the clouds beneath my feet;
How sweet to be a Sloth.’
Many of us see nothing wrong in sloth or laziness. Being apathetic or listless, passive or lethargic hardly seems to rank with pride, lust or envy as sins. Even if we acknowledge that we are lazy in some areas, we think this is no great sin, and since we are rarely lazy in everything, this sin is hardly even noticed by many. Yet the Bible has much to say about sloth, often contrasting the ways of sluggards with the ways of the ant (see Prov 6:6-11, Prov 19:24, Prov 21:25, Prov 26:13-15).
There is obviously a need for balance in life, with work contrasted with rest. The Sabbath is God’s principle of rest, given to help us. Night is given us for sleep. We do well not to burn ourselves out. Yet we also need to be aware of the heart’s tendency to desire ease, to sit back and rest even at the expense of doing the known will of God. Whatever we do in life requires effort, and so often, it’s this idea of effort which repels us. We want to be able to progress in the spiritual life without effort.
When we are slothful, we are careless, not planning ahead, not putting in effort, feeling that life is just not worth living. Paul reminds us, ‘Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.’ (Gal 6:7-10) He urges us to ‘always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain.’ (1 Cor 15:58) There is a need for effort and perseverance in a life of faith, and we have to examine our hearts to see if we are shirking these things and preferring a life of ease to the life of service God requires.