We all go through days where we just want to sit back, relax, do nothing and give in to laziness. Though we know laziness is not suitable for our productivity, we still somehow find ourselves in a situation wherein we choose to give in. Why is this so? Let’s dive in deeper and discuss the impacts of laziness and how it can be a sin and affect our spiritual life.
What is Laziness
By definition, laziness is the quality of being unwilling to work or use your energy. In modern times, we see laziness as choosing not to do something that you have to do, and generally being okay with it. Laziness is generally prevalent during times when we have work to do that is particularly not to our liking, so we tend to put it off.
What is the Cause of Being Lazy?
Laziness can be a product of a lot of factors. For some, it is in their lifestyle. For others, it’s in their psychological and physical problems. The formation of bad habits can also be a huge factor in laziness. This means a person who is lazy doesn’t entirely mean he/she is not capable of doing certain things, it’s really more about not being able to do proper time management, having poor habits, and a lifestyle that’s not motivating and promoting laziness.
Can You Reverse Laziness?
Absolutely! Being lazy is not permanent. You can definitely work on your laziness and be able to get rid of it.
Why Do People Give in to Laziness?
There are a lot of factors why people give in to laziness. There can be mental stressors, environmental factors, as well as internal factors. Being in a state of laziness can be highly influenced by the things that are happening around us and where we currently are as a person. This means, you can be lazy now because of the overwhelming amount of things you are facing, but next month you can be able to overcome your laziness. There is no such thing as having one reason for being lazy. It simply varies from person to person, depending on their life situation at the moment.
Is Laziness a Sin?
There can be a lot of kinds of laziness. A lazy person can be lazy on one specific aspect but can be hard-working and zealous on another. Just as we briefly discussed, there are plenty of factors which laziness can come from. Being lazy for something that is trivial is different from being lazy for an important work task. Having laziness attending church on Sunday is also a completely different form of laziness.
The usual “couch potato” laziness can be mistaken as a grave sin, yes, to some degree being a couch potato can be seen as a sin, especially if it causes harm to others, but the most dangerous kind of laziness is spiritual laziness.
What is Spiritual Laziness?
One of the Seven deadly sins is the sin of sloth which is often associated with laziness. But it is important to know that the deadly sin of sloth touches on having strong disinterest in spiritual growth. This can also be called spiritual laziness. Spiritual laziness is also not being interested in going to mass, not partaking in sacraments, not interested in learning more, and going deep in your relationship with God. Being in a state of spiritual laziness is a sin. As it is also a very dangerous one.
How to Overcome Being Spiritually Lazy?
The good thing about this, just like any other sin, is that you can work towards overcoming it. The first step that we suggest for you, is to go to the sacrament of reconciliation. Having confession is a great way to start, as you are genuinely asking forgiveness from God for your sins. After confession, we highly suggest you go to a trusted spiritual director who can give you support on the things you can do to overcome spiritual laziness. Having someone to support you through a difficult time is very important because support can be an added layer of strength to get through your sins.
Some good ways to overcome spiritual laziness are to actively seek the word of God through attending bible studies, volunteering in your local parish, and keeping and incorporating an active prayer life or routine in your lifestyle. It is also good to reach out to Our Lady, pray the rosary and ask for her intercession. Overcoming spiritual laziness takes a lot of work, but with God’s grace, it is always not impossible.
Learning About Sins
If you want to learn more about sins, and how you can overcome them, check out our posts on the Seven Deadly Sins, Is Smoking a Sin, and is Overeating a sin?