The Sin of Sloth

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sweetchuck

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While we’re on the topic of deadly sins, I was wondering, do any of you struggle with this sin as much as I do? This sin oppresses me greatly. I have done much to quell lust’s domination of my life, but sloth weighs heavily on me. I sit around and do nothing. I could work out, I could get work done, I could do spiritual reading, I could pray, I could do anything. But I fill my time with idleness. I’ll do something productive from time to time, and reward myself with idleness. And when I do many productive things consecutively, I end up feeling burnt out, so then I return to idleness. I don’t feel as oppressed as I did when I was enslaved by online pornography. Nevertheless, sloth’s grasp on my life discourages me greatly.

Thoughts? Suggestions? Directions?
 
I am too slothful. Or should I say, I too am slothful. Or I too am too slothful. (sorry). About sloth, I have read that it is a disease of the will. "We have to remember that man was made to labor. When God created our first parents, he placed them in a garden of delights, “to dress and keep it.” Work is necessary for us to cultivate our powers, so that work is prior to original sin. But work, now, is also a punishment as well as a necessity. All of this comes from Tanquerey, The Spiritual Life (look up “sloth” in the index). He quotes Proverbs 24:30-34. The remedy, it seems, is to “form in them [the slothful] strong convictions concerning the necessity of work; … and that its infringement * may involve eternal damnation.” He then quotes the parable of the barren fig-tree. It’s a fine book, get a copy.

I have read, and I believe from my own experiences, that contemplation cannot coexist (for long) with sin. Contemplation brings you face to face with your errors. You either stop sinning or stop contemplating. I have made my greatest progress in all my battles during times when I contemplated more. “One must constantly bear in mind the end of life.”

I’ll tell you what. I’ll pray for you, and you pray for me. Deal? 🙂

Peace and grace. Let us not be “sluggish in hearing” (Heb 5:11) bringing forth only “thorns and thistles” (Heb 6:8). Let us “demonstrate the same eagerness for the fulfillment of hope until the end, so that [we] may not become sluggish, but imitators of those who, through faith and patience, are inheriting the promises” (Heb 6:11-12).*
 
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FrmrTrad:
I’ll tell you what. I’ll pray for you, and you pray for me. Deal? 🙂
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Deal! I was beginning to think that no one had an answer for me. Many thanks. I appreciate the words of wisdom. I think we hear a lot about pride, greed and lust and other sins, but not so much about sloth, which I think is my worst affliction (but it may be pride, too, I don’t know). Maybe everyone is too lazy to talk about it. 😃

jk

Thanks!
 
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sweetchuck:
I think we hear a lot about pride, greed and lust and other sins, but not so much about sloth, which I think is my worst affliction (but it may be pride, too, I don’t know). Maybe everyone is too lazy to talk about it. 😃
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We are in an achievement-oriented, work-worshipping culture. I think many of us our more ashamed to admit we our lazy – as we fritter away another evening on the internet! – than we are to admit the other sins.

I really struggle with this. Not just failing to work, but failing to have direction in general, and as you said, having hopes of doing better but never letting it get beyond the stage of idle fantasy.

I have heard that it also helps to find someone to whom you can 'fess up and make yourself accountable. That has been really hard for me. I really resist inviting anyone in to look over my shoulder.

Pray for me, too, and I’ll pray for you. Maybe we can give up this forum until after Christmas as an appropriate Advent penance. (I don’t know about you, but it would give me one less place to find refuge from my to-do list.)
 
I will pray for you also because this is an oppressive spirit- or it would never have been listed as such a grave sin.

When you are feeling idle, start by offering up a tiny prayer. That’s it. Nothing long, nothing formal, just a few words. Maybe something like one of these. Or something that you are feeling.
  • Jesus help me.
  • Sacred Heart of Jesus save me.
  • Jesus I love you.
  • Holy Spirit guide me.
  • Jesus cover me with your blood
  • Holy Spirit motivate me!
Some thing like that. Repeat it often. Little things like this are prayers and God will hear them and help.

Prayer is the only way you will beat this oppressive spirit. I will offer my prayers for you. God loves these tiny devotions when we are struggling - and sometimes it is all we can offer at the time to get us to the next baby step. But He knows that!

I have driven to work sobbing all the way, just repeating, “Sacred Heart of Jesus I trust in you.” In my darkest times I have layed on my bed crying and just repeating, “Holy Spirit help me!”

It is simply amazing how many moments of peace I have received from the Holy Spirit just by these quick cries for help!

God knows of your oppression and knows what you are capable of right now. Just acknowledge Him. He will come when you call to Him.

May the Holy Spirit grant you healing and peace.
 
If I could also be included in this group of prayer it would be appreciated. Too often do I accept mediocrity and allow sloth to rear its ugly head. I will keep you all in my prayers and hope I will be in yours.
 
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jrabs:
When you are feeling idle, start by offering up a tiny prayer. That’s it. Nothing long, nothing formal, just a few words. …It is simply amazing how many moments of peace I have received from the Holy Spirit just by these quick cries for help!
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Thank you. I knew that, but needed reminding.
Now, off the forum I go, and to work…
 
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mercygate:
Shucks! You’re talkin’ about my second favorite sin! 😛
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Boy, I think it’s my first favorite! Laziness is my nemesis, and yet also my reward for work.

I am too prone to procrastinate and let things clutter and let dust gather and weeds grow and myself to settle into a rut of a job, and yet also I use leisure and an afternoon spent reading as a reward to myself for when I do get things done, and it is my time to appreciate the blessings that God has bestowed upon me and for me to find peace in my life.

I guess it is finding the balance. And right now, judging by the pile of mail sprawling on our kitchen island, the pendulum has swung too far to the side of sloth!
 
I don’t think we have to keep ourselves busy every moment with work, family activities, spiritual practices/reading, exercise, and organized recreational events. I’d invite anyone concerned about slothfulness in their lives to read and reflect on the article at the following link, entitled “Leisure a Good Form of Penance?”.

sentex.net/~jveltri/bob/page1.htm#leisure

I wish peace and God’s blessings to all.

John
 
There are two kinds of sloth - physical and spiritual. I think the capital sin is spiritual sloth. This translates roughly as a distaste for spiritual things.
 
Considering 2 Thes 3:10 (if anyone was [is] unwilling to work, neither should that one eat) it stands to reason that sloth in temporal affairs is very serious as well, pursuant to Genesis, in which it is made clear that work is necessary before and after the Fall. Idlers are scorned (1 Tim 5:13), we are to be workmen who cause no disgrace (2 Tim 2:15), and young men are to be a model of good deeds with dignity so there will be nothing bad to say about us (Titus 2:6-8). To some extent these citations pertain to doing apostolic work, but they only succeed as metaphors because of their value generally. Note, for example, that the bishops of the day had to come from housholds that they had managed well, with children under control with perfect dignity (1 Tim 3:4). There is a clear emphasis on being productive non-slothful people in these texts. Finally many saints combatted sloth, including on things not directly spiritual, and would not have done so if it were not important. St. Publius, pray for us!
 
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BLB_Oregon:
Pray for me, too, and I’ll pray for you. Maybe we can give up this forum until after Christmas as an appropriate Advent penance. (I don’t know about you, but it would give me one less place to find refuge from my to-do list.)
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I’ll pray for you, too, and thanks for the advice. I think I’d be better suited to give up baseball message boards and EBay for a little while. They consume much of my time and command a great deal of idleness. :banghead:

I appreciate your suggestions, too, jrabs. I think I’ll try some of those, because I think you’re right.
 
Oh groan.
I’m glad this was brought up. (thank you all)
I’m with you all-- hook, line, and slothy sinker.

I can’t give up this site for Lent, though. :bigyikes:

I need to start going for walks. Maybe begging God during Lent to help me take regular walks will help to break the chains that bind me.

You know what prayer I think is incredibly strengthening and motivating? The Lorica. Just so happens that EWTN has it on their prayers link… 🙂 : ewtn.com/Devotionals/prayers/patrick.htm

Peace.
 
Sweetchuck,
Thank you for starting this thread. You’ve helped me realize this is something I need to confront in my life as I search my conscience for my sins. If you came to my apt., you’d see it’s a problem of mine. Now I have one more sin on my list for Confession.

God bless you.
 
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Ruthmary:
Sweetchuck,
Thank you for starting this thread. You’ve helped me realize this is something I need to confront in my life as I search my conscience for my sins. If you came to my apt., you’d see it’s a problem of mine. Now I have one more sin on my list for Confession.

God bless you.
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I understand the thing about the apartment. You should see mine. Not dirty, just cluttery.

Thanks for your kudos, but I must direct credit to whom credit is due. It is the Holy Spirit working in you to help you come to this realization. So, if I have been a tool for Him to wield, I am honored and humbled.
 
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sweetchuck:
I understand the thing about the apartment. You should see mine. Not dirty, just cluttery.

Thanks for your kudos, but I must direct credit to whom credit is due. It is the Holy Spirit working in you to help you come to this realization. So, if I have been a tool for Him to wield, I am honored and humbled.
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Boy, what is it about clutter and appartments?? Well, I have a small flat or townhouse but it’s the same thing. My sloth problem lies in an inability to deal to the piles of paper that accumulate. Stuff that comes through the mail, some of which needs keeping and some I’m not sure if I might need at some future date, things I’ve photocopied at work, articles I’ve cut out of the newspaper, cryptic crossword puzzles (an addiction) half-done, magazines half-read, books ditto. I live alone, so it only matters (to me) if someone is coming. It all goes upstairs under my bed, temporarily, to create an illusion of tidiness. I dust and clean and vacuum, but the piles stay and grow. It never occured to me that it could be a sin:eek: and I don’t think it is:confused:
I do like your humour, Sweetchuck! Nice and subtle:) . (Well, I’m assuming you said the above with a smile!??)
 
I think that failing to deal with piles of paper is not ‘the sin of sloth’ in a significant way. If you fail to deal with necessary papers and fail to process something you knew to be necessary for your state of life, that would be sloth. Maintaining one’s affairs neatly, however, could be a means to live the “little way” more acutely. To be a slob is to reject grace to some extent, I think, as it shows a want of care for oneself.
 
shannon e:
Oh groan.
I’m glad this was brought up. (thank you all)
I’m with you all-- hook, line, and slothy sinker.
…
I need to start going for walks. Maybe begging God during Lent to help me take regular walks will help to break the chains that bind me.
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Now if I could only strap my laptop to me while I walk in my backyard…😛 :whacky:
Annunciata:D
 
sloth is probably my biggest vice. i’ll even skip meals sometimes because i’m just too lazy to get up and make even a sandwich. pretty awful.
 
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