Identify Your Area of Selective Sluggardliness

SYNOPSIS: When it comes to areas of personal growth in your life, perhaps you feel that you’re doing well in nine-out-of-ten areas. And that is pretty good. But that nine-out-of-ten mentality has been the undoing of so many. It’s what we might call, “selective sluggardliness”. To neglect even the little, hidden, seemingly inconsequential areas of undeveloped and unredeemed moral fiber is to commit malpractice in life’s most important work—the development of our character.

Moments With God // Proverbs 6:6

You lazy fool, look at an ant. Watch it closely; let it teach you a thing or two. Nobody has to tell it what to do.

“The first and best victory is to conquer self.” That’s according to the Greek philosopher Plato. He was right, of course! Unfortunately, however, far too many people are on a serious losing streak when it comes it comes to self-mastery.

But that’s not you, right? Since you are reading this, chances are you are doing it for personal improvement, self-discipline, and spiritual growth. You have taken the time and made the effort to read and reflect on how you might better align your character with God’s design for your life. That’s not to say you are perfect, but in nine out of ten areas, you’re doing pretty well, if you don’t say so yourself.

But hold on, my friend. It’s your inattention to that tenth area that very well may be the difference between God’s abundance or wasted potential in your life, between living a life of great faith and being an also-ran in the race of life, between hearing “well done, faithful one” and depart from me, I never knew you” on that day you stand before the Almighty.

It’s that nine-out-of-ten mentality that has been the undoing of so many. It is what we might call, “selective sluggardliness”. To neglect even the little, hidden, seemingly inconsequential areas of undeveloped and unredeemed moral fiber is to commit malpractice in life’s most important work—the development of our character.

That’s why Solomon says in Proverbs 6:6 (The Message), “You lazy fool, look at an ant. Watch it closely; let it teach you a thing or two. Nobody has to tell it what to do.” What does the ant teach us?

1. The ant needs no outside motivation—it just follows its God-given, built-in, intrinsic motivation to do what needs to be done.
2. The ant just instinctively knows what to do—and so do you.
3. The ant, like Nike, just does it.

Okay, you’re doing great in nine out of ten areas. Pat yourself on the back and have a party. And once you’re done, tackle that tenth area. Don’t stop until you master it. Believe me, you won’t regret it.