The Cure for Laziness

THE CURE FOR LAZINESS

(Please note that the answers to this lesson are at the bottom of the lesson)

After preparing the lesson on laziness and how to identify it, and what God thinks about laziness, and what will happen to lazy people, I then thought that I need to come up with a plan on how to “cure” or resolve laziness. So I got on line and here is what I found…

At http://www.personal-development.com I found this article. Also bear in mind that I have tweaked these articles with Biblical applications and personal thoughts. If you don’t like it…talk to God.

If you don’t make things happen, things will happen to you

A reader asks,

  • “I was wondering if you had any concrete ways to begin the process of overcoming laziness and recapturing motivation.
  • I realize that I have been dealing with laziness. (Admit problem)
  • There is an underlying anxiety that keeps me from getting going.
  • With time it has transformed into a hazy, non-living lifestyle where I manage to only do the bare minimum and am always late with my work.
  • Talking with a professional probably could help me, but I also know that I have to take responsibility for my own life and decisions.
  • So, if you have some useful tips on getting motivated and REALLY getting started, I would appreciate it.”

    Chuck Gallozi answers…Do I have any tips? Yes, I do.

  1. For starters, stop ____________, ____________, or ______________about your problem and start ____________ something.
  2. Mainly, the only way to get things done is to _______.
  3. To “______” takes work, and can be uncomfortable, and doesn’t always make you feel_________.
  4. You see, many people are held back or are stuck in their tracks because they believe EVERYTHING ___________ _________
  5. Such an idea reveals a fundamental lack of ____________________ of how life works.
  • Like it or not, sometimes the weather is too cold, too hot, or too wet to feel comfortable. (remember our study showed that lazy people always make excuses for not doing something.)
  1. At other times, our tasks are too _____________or too _______________ to be pleasurable.

That’s the way life is. Accept it.

Once you ACT (start doing something), you can go ahead and do whatever needs to be done, no matter how it makes you feel.

  1. We don’t have to be __________ by our feelings. We can choose to let our reason guide us.
  2. The heart of the problem is we want to seek ______________and avoid ____________. This is the “flesh” our sin nature.
  • God designed us to protect ourselves when we feel pain, discomfort, and anxiety.
  • You put gloves on to keep from getting frostbite in cold weather.
  • We put our arm up to protect us from someone hitting us.
  • We don’t go into bad neighborhoods at night to keep us from harm.
  1. But the problem today is that people often interpret the slightest discomfort as _________, thereby avoiding important responsibilities.
  • To compensate for this problem, we have the power of reason.

At the Crossroad;

          RELAX               WORK

          (Pleasure)         (Pain) 

  • If you are lazy, you are standing at a crossroad with each task.
  1. One path leads to ____________, the other path leads to ________.

EXAMPLE:

Let’s say the boss comes to you and says,

“I want this report ready by next Friday.”

  • When I get home, I am standing at the crossroad.
  • I can decide to start working on the report after dinner. Work on the report? Ugh! That takes concentration and effort. That’s not much fun. That sounds like PAIN.
  • On the other hand, instead of working on the report, I can watch TV, play computer games, go out for ice-cream, or party all night with friends. Wow! That sounds like fun!

11. Which path will I choose? That depends on whether I go with my conviction as to How God would want me to respond or follow the voice of reason (means__________________________________________).

  • Well, there is a bump or hill in each of the two paths. And it prevents us from seeing what is on the other side.

12. So, as we stand at the crossroad, all we can see is the ___________ pleasure or pain that awaits us. In other words, we are shortsighted.

13. However, if we were to look from a higher vantage point, we would discover that on the other side of the hill things are ______________.

  • Remember that in every aspect of life, things are never as they seem or what they appear to be.
  • Something hard may be soft, something smooth can be rough.
  • For what was previously pleasurable now becomes painful, and what was previously painful now becomes pleasurable.
  • The pleasure I yield (ACT) to (watching TV, playing computer games, going out for ice-cream, or partying all night) leads to the PAIN of regret, shame, and lack of advancement.
  • The pain I choose to push through (working on the report for my boss) leads to the PLEASURE and pride of accomplishment and the exhilaration of advancement in my company.
  • Remember what Jesus said to His disciples in John 14:15…If ye love me, keep my commandments. 16) And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 17) Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. 18) I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
  1. Who is the “comforter” that God sent to us? __________________.
  • When we decide to work, to do what seems to be hard…the comforter will comfort us.
  1. When you decide to go ahead and do what needs to be done despite your discomfort, you will experience the following benefits:

a) _______ __________ stronger.

b) You will make _____ _______________  ________________ that the task at hand wasn’t as hard as you had imagined it to be.

c) You will experience ______________, a reduction of stress, and an increase in energy. Remember, when you neglect your responsibilities, it weighs heavily on your mind and drains your energy.

d) You will enjoy the ________________ ______________ of your actions. That is, you will reap the rewards of taking action.

e) When repeated often enough, you will adopt a _________________ habit that will lead you to success and happiness.

f) You will discover that the _________ _________  _______________ that comes from doing what is right is far greater than that received by giving in to the temptation of immediate gratification.

  • You will find that the long-term pain caused by neglecting your responsibilities is far greater than the small amount of pain or effort necessary to do what is right. 

KNOW THIS… It is ACTION that creates motivation.

  • First you act. Then you experience the six benefits mentioned above.
  • And those benefits motivate you to do more.

 

MOTIVATION POINTS

The time to act is now!

If you don’t make things happen, things will happen to you.

We become what we do (person of action or pleasure)
Push yourself

Start on something you should be doing

You don’t have to do everything now

Take baby steps at first, then adult steps

Use it and discover the joy of productive living

Psalm 126:5 (KJV) …They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.
(Our struggle to not be lazy may be done tearfully, but you will later be happy)

Proverbs 21:15 (KJV) …It is joy to the just to do judgment: but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity.

(We are happy when we use the right judgment, but the sin of laziness will destroy us) 

Ecclesiastes 9:7 (KJV) …Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works.

(Go ahead and enjoy yourself, God has accepted your work)

 

ANSWERS TO THE CURE FOR LAZINESS

  1. Talking – thinking – writing – doing
  2. Act
  3. Act, good
  4. Should feel good
  5. Understanding
  6. Difficult, challenging
  7. Ruled
  8. Pleasure, pain
  9. Pain
  10. Pleasure, pain
  11. Our own judgment
  12. Immediate
  13. Different
  14. The Holy Spirit
  15. You grow b. the pleasant discovery  c. Relief   d. Positive results    e. powerful   f. Long-term pleasure