God does not want us to sit in idleness doing nothing. He has given each of us gifts and abilities to have an impact in our world and he expects us to use those gifts. The Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25 is a clear example of this teaching. One was given five talents and multiplied them; another was given two and did the same. The selfish and fearful one who was given one talent, hid the talent underground. The master was angry at the slave who did nothing with his one talent. At the very least, the master expected that he could have left it with bankers to earn interest. He was called wicked and lazy because he did not work to bear fruit. You see God wants us to be of service to others; to offer ourselves in service to those in need. When we do nothing, it is sinful because our abilities, intellectual & physical capacities are not activated and put to work; they are laid to waste and thus creating no fruit. In the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard, in Matthew 20, this teaching is explained again. Those who sat idly in the town square not working were hired by the Master to work in his vineyard. God cannot stand to see people sitting idly doing nothing. Even those hired at the end of the day were paid the same as those hired at early morning. God wants us to be of service, working, cultivating, and creating. The Kingdom of God will taken away from the lazy and complacent and given to those who produce fruit (Matthew 21:43). Christianity is not a club or community distinguished by social status or humanly created designations; rather the Kingdom of God is identified by those willing to serve others to make impact and produce fruits for the Kingdom (Matthew 20: 25-28).
Idleness is Sin
