The Brothers (Proverbs 18:9)

What do laziness and destruction have to do with each other?

"He who is loose and slack in his work is brother to him who who is a destroyer [and he who does not use his endeavors to heal himself is brother to him who commits suicide]." Proverbs 18:9, Amplified

I want it to made very clear this morning that the latter half of the verse is unique only to the Amplified version. I do not understand why they felt the nee to go further with the verse. So I will not be commenting on the latter half of the verse since what I am about to say about the first half can be applied to the second.

In the New King James, instead of "loose and slack" we find the word lazy. He who is lazy in his work is a brother to him who destroys. What does laziness have to do with destruction? I always read ahead the day before and mull the verse or verses over in my head. This one was a little harder to make the connection from laziness to destruction. Then I had an epiphany. It is easier to destroy than it is to build up. When one builds, there is an effort put out; organization, time, sweat, blood. Do not misunderstand me, I am not trying to talk down the science of demolition. But a building can be brought down in a day, whereas it went up in months. Laziness is not the same as destruction, but they are similar in the effort they put out: very little.

God has called us all to be builders. We need to build up our faith, we need to build up our brothers, we need to build churches. Are faith is not a lazy faith. It needs to be an active faith. Even James states that faith without works is dead (James 2:26). If our faith becomes lazy, then it also becomes a selfish faith without the desire to see anyone else ushered into the kingdom. Let us build together, brick by brick an stone by stone. We may not see the fruits of our labors but we will leave a structure for others to continue building. What are we building? The faith. Who are we building it for? Other Christians and the rest of the world. Faith in the Lord Jesus is a safe haven for the saved and the unsaved alike.

I am reminded of that movie "Field of Dreams". Kevin Costner is a farmer who hears voices from his fields encouraging him to build something. "If you build it they will come." If we build, they will come. Everyone is curious about a new construction site. Let them also become curious about our Lord.