p. 91 | Laziness by Roswell F. Cottrell

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jan 29, 1867

Laziness.

By Roswell F. Cottrell

MAN was not made for idleness, but for activity. In his sinless state he had employment given him; but when he had sinned, it seemed necessary to put upon him a more laborious task of physical labor, than to dress the delightful garden and to keep it. It now became necessary for him to eat his bread by the sweat of his face. Labor was in harmony with his constitution at the first; and now, though cursed with toil under a load of mortality, still it was the wisest and best arrangement for him, in order to his recovery from sin. And when the Son of God undertook to redeem and save us, he voluntarily took our nature, and cheerfully bore the toils of mortal life.

Not to submit with cheerfulness to this wise arrangement of our Creator, is rebellion against God, and an unwillingness to follow in the footsteps of our Saviour. Since our sustenance is the fruit of labor, honesty toward our fellows requires that each should contribute his share for the general good. To shirk our portion of the labor, is to defraud our fellow men. All should be engaged in something of real benefit to our race. Each one should add a share to the stock of good. It is not necessary for each one to produce corn and wheat; but something as good and necessary to our race in this world, or to secure the world to come, should be contributed by the labor of each.

Those who say, “The world owes me a living,” greatly err. Such are dishonest persons. Instead of honestly laboring for a livelihood, they contrive to get it by fraud and robbery. They owe as much to the world as the world does to them. Paul was not of that class. He acknowledged himself a debtor to all classes of men; and was willing to do all he could to benefit them. Said he, “I am a debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise. So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also.”

Viewing the obligation to labor in this light, we see that common honesty requires it. And if Christianity requires honesty, it requires a due amount of labor from those who profess it. Lorenzo Dow was not so far out of the way, when he said, “A lazy Christian is as great a solecism as an honest thief, a sober drunkard, a chaste harlot, or a holy devil.” Certainly those who justly view our fallen, lost estate, and engage in the great work of human salvation, as Christians profess to do, should be the most perseveringly industrious people in the world.

Then let all avoid laziness, and work while the day lasts. If we are “constitutionally tired,” or in other words, naturally lazy, let us break the silken cords of ease and go to work in earnest for the good of ourselves and others. Let no one enjoying a tolerable degree of health, be willing to be a burden to others. The exercise of labor benefits the health. It is selfish, too, not to consider that others feel the ills of life, as well as ourselves.

But it is difficult to speak on this subject as well as others where there are two extremes. Some labor too much. They need no exhortation to labor. But others are willing that the laboring ones should carry them along, without an effort to sustain themselves. Those that are willing to be carried without an effort to walk, are the ones I want to hit. If, on examination, you find yourself willing to let others do that for you which you can as well do for yourself, I mean you. And I want to exhort you to change your course, and be willing to help yourself and others that need help. An apostle commanded that if any would not work, they should not eat. He also exhorts, “And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you; that ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.” We learn from this that honesty requires labor. Then as we would be honest, let us willingly labor. Then, having engaged in the labor, we may talk of the coming rest, at the close of the day.

R. F. COTTERELL.