“My life has been full of terrible misfortunes, most of which never happened!” So said Michael de Montaigne in the late 1500’s. He also said “A man who fears suffering is already suffering from what he fears.”
I believe this fella may have read Proverbs 22:13, but gave it a softer spin than scripture gives. “The sluggard says ‘There’s a lion outside! I’ll be killed in the streets!” A fearful man is his own worst enemy, according to Michael de Montaigne. The fearful man sees trouble around every corner and is paralyzed into inaction, accomplishing nothing due to his fear of failure.
The sluggard takes this one step further. Instead of seeing a very unlikely worst case scenario and elevating it to an almost certainty out of fear, the sluggard conjures up preposterous stories that begin with him actually doing what he should do and ends up with those actions resulting in disaster and death.
Both men fail to do what is rightfully expected of them. Both are failures. The reason for the failures of both these men is not circumstances. They both fail because of a simple story. “If I go to work today something terrible will happen! I’m staying home!”
The answer to the faulty mindset of both the fearful and the lazy? There is no lion in the street! Get up! Get out there! God’s design is that I work – diligently, joyfully, to the best of my ability, for his reputation’s sake. When I disobey, out of fear or out of laziness, that is pure disobedience to the Savior of my soul! I will obey God’s design.
I’m going to work!