Smoke and Sluggards

Have you ever roasted marshmallows over a campfire? Maybe you can remember trying to get away from the smoke. A campfire is fun, but smoke in your eyes is not! It stings and blinds you so that you can not see anything. “Oooh, get that smoke away!” you say as you dodge aside. “My eyes hurt and I can’t see!” After that you keep far away from the blowing smoke. You can’t do anything when it comes your way. It is plainly a troublesome bother.

Did you know that there is a verse in the Bible about smoke in your eyes? It says “as smoke to the eyes, so is the sluggard to them that send him.” A sluggard is someone who fools around and doesn’t get their work done. When Mom tells you to take out the trash or clear off the table, do you drag your feet and hope someone else will do it? Can you be counted on to get your jobs done every day? Or are you a sluggard who finds excuses to get out of work?

A sluggard is a real pain. They get in the way and we can’t get our work done. We can’t count on someone who is lazy, can we? They always have to be reminded and made to do their work. Instead of thinking how they can help, a sluggard just thinks of ways to get out of work. I hope you don’t want to be a sluggard!