One who is slack in his work is brother to one who destroys.
- Proverbs 18:9
The above passage is one of many that I have read repeatedly over the past forty years, but I only saw it for the first time today. That is because I never really understood its deeper, more rudimentary meaning.
We rarely think about the effect of a job done poorly, a project fulfilled half-heartedly, an assignment never completed, a promise only partial kept. Our assumption is that our very best is not necessary for things to go forward. Instead, we selfishly reason that those we serve should be thankful for what they receive from us, even if it isn’t the full measure required. Close enough is good enough, we wrongly assume.
Yet Solomon is telling us in the above passage that a job well done is often critical. To prove his point, simply pick up the daily paper and read about bridges that collapsed, planes that crashed, surgeries that killed – simply because someone didn’t do their very best. People got tired, distracted, lazy, disinterested, whatever. The consequence was that when someone became slack in their work, someone else became the victim of their slackness.
Over the years, I have encountered slackness in many different areas. But what I have seen most often are men and women who become slack in the area of their own spiritual lives. They may be extremely diligent in other areas, especially in their careers; but when it comes to the care of their own souls, or their service to Christ and His Church, they are content to serve up leftovers… day old donuts! Which again is why Solomon warned:
If a man is lazy, the rafters sag; if his hands are idle, the house leaks. (Ecclesiastes 10:18)
What’s true of physical houses is also true of one's spiritual house. Don’t be slack, but be diligent. Is your spiritual life sagging? Is your roof leaking? Repent and get to back to work!
Most often this kind of slackness reveals itself one of two ways: Mediocrity, and/or Apathy.
Mediocrity comes from viewing something as not important enough to invest significant resources, especially time. This is not always wrong, as long as we are talking about something that truly is not important. But when we are talking about Christ and His Church, this should never be our attitude. As Paul noted,
So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
(1 Corinthians 10:31)
This implies that there are to be no half-measures. Yet when mediocrity rules, we end up giving God only what is convenient, comfortable, and affordable. The Prophet Malachi dedicated most of his prophecy to a generation that had contented itself with mediocrity in their walk and service to God. They viewed serving God as a burden:
“…you say, ‘What a burden!’ and you sniff at it contemptuously,” says the LORD Almighty. “When you bring injured, crippled or diseased animals and offer them as sacrifices, should I accept them from your hands?” says the LORD. (Malachi 1:13)
Mediocrity is not the product of a mediocre people. It is the production of a disinterested people.
Apathy is similar to mediocrity. It only differs in degree of disinterest. Apathy says, "It doesn’t matter." Whereas the mediocre will do just enough to get by, the apathetic won’t even try. They see no value in putting forth the effort.
Both mediocrity and apathy fly in the face of what should define our view of Christ, His Church, and our service to Him. Jesus states the standard simply:
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” (Matthew 22:37)
Love and apathy are antithetical. They are extreme opposites. Love is passionate; apathy is passionless. Love is self-less; apathy is self-absorbed. Love is sacrificial; apathy is self-seeking.
Sometimes mediocrity and apathy can become the governing characteristics of an entire culture – much like a prevailing inferiority complex, in which one never confronts issues directly or completely. Instead, there is a passive-aggressive approach to all of life. We never directly address important matters; but we complain constantly about them.
That’s not to say that folks like mediocrity. In fact, we love excellence – especially if we are on the receiving end. But we don’t want to pay for it. We don’t want to put in the hard work and sacrifice in order to achieve that excellence. Mediocrity hates hard work and sacrifice.
There is something else that is lost when we chose mediocrity instead of excellence. We are no longer dangerous. Satan is not frightened; evil doesn’t worry. Darkness feels no threat from mediocrity. That’s why there is so little resistance to it. But when one begins to pursue spiritual excellence, the enemy notices. He responds. He will not stop until he has restored us to mediocrity & apathy. Sadly, too often, we let him succeed.
The writer of Hebrews understood this temptation better than most, which is why he wrote the following:
God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure. We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised. (Hebrews 6:10-12)
Paul also recognized the temptation, which prompted him to similarly write…
Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold (seize, hold tightly, rescue from peril) of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. (1 Timothy 6:12)