A theme throughout the wisdom literature is the deleterious effects of neglect or passivity, where the sluggard is both the perpetrator and recipient of ruin.

One author concludes, 'Practice isn't the thing you do once you're good. It's the thing you do that makes you good.' This describes our spiritual walk as well.

Without well-defined plans, projects become quickly derailed. Both time and energy are wasted in the absence of carefully established goals.

Tamerlane, the 14th century conqueror, learned a valuable lesson from the initiative of a tiny ant, motivating him to turn defeat into victory.

Poverty and destruction are the products of neglect. Preventative maintenance will help us whether we deal with physical or spiritual problems.

We tend to put matters behind us once we are finished with them, but we cannot afford to do this with the lessons we learn from the Days of Unleavened Bread.

Terrorism is commonplace today, yet we may be causing just as much destruction spiritually as the average terrorist through negligence and passivity.

The Parable of the Talents is often confused with the Parable of the Pounds. These parables illustrate Christian responsibilities from different angles.

People entering retirement often experience degrees of depression brought about by deteriorating health status and the feeling of no longer being needed.

The three principles for acquiring prosperity (diligently working, wisely managing what one has earned, and meticulously saving) all militate against laziness.

The Bible does not condone a government-supplied welfare system, insisting rather that people who refuse to work shall not eat (II Thessalonians 3:10-15).

The media portrays Israel as a war-torn, savage country. Actually Israel is a world class scene, having a better GNP than any country in the Western world.

Biblically, a talent has nothing to do with ability, skill, or aptitude. The Parable of the Talents goes far beyond making use of skills and abilities.

God expects a return on the investment He has placed in us. Doing nothing with our abilities is a grievous abuse of this trust.

Self-control helps us to restrain ourselves from harmful lusts of the flesh, including gluttony, intoxication, sex outside of marriage, and drug abuse.

Some scriptures seem to say that all one needs to do is ask God in prayer for whatever the heart desires, and He will grant it like a genie rubbed from his lamp.

We must weed out detrimental habits that choke our lives. If we want to produce quality fruit, we must weed our garden.

The Parable of the Talents teaches the need for diligence in using the gifts of God. God expects us to use our talents to His glory and in the service of others.

We need to exercise diligence, acquiring economic stability by submitting to God's counsel, sacrificing now before forces usurp our economic substance.

The recipients of Peter's epistle were having difficulty holding on to their faith, having succumbed to fear as a result of lack of discipline and laziness.

The modern church stands in danger of allowing salvation to slip away. Hebrews gives warnings to help us turn our lives around so we do not fall short.

Both food and information are readily available in the West. What is our approach to them? Our attitude toward and application of them makes all the difference.

An irrational fear of loss prevents the development of agape love — we fear that keeping God's commandments will cause us to lose something valuable.

Solomon emphasized in Ecclesiastes 2 that we should enjoy and derive pleasure from our work. The way that we work is a visible witness of God before men.

We have a responsibility to analyze our health needs, continually adjusting and changing as we learn, faithfully maintaining the temple of God's Spirit.

The noble trait of self-sufficiency, long associated with the American spirit, has sadly been eclipsed by a spoiled brat, whiney, 'gimme' welfare mentality.

While working for the government may provide a feeling of security, it can also breed complacency and laziness, inspiring a wholesale lack of motivation.

Mankind has been given dominion or responsibility for the care of animal life, preserving and embellishing their environment, as God would take care of them.

We have the obligation to bear spiritual fruit, heeding the lessons of the cursing of the fig tree, and the parables of the barren fig tree and the talents.

Most of us have been brave on occasion, but perhaps other times we have been timid. What can we do to avoid being a coward when it matters most?

Not all waiting is actually waiting on God. We might convince ourselves that we are waiting on God, when He is really waiting for us to move forward.

Many of God's servants, including Elijah and Jeremiah, had their crises of faith, desiring to flee from their responsibilities and commitments.