Idle Hands
An attempt to understand.
Determine never to be idle. No person will have occasion to complain of the want of time who never loses any. It is wonderful how much may be done if we are always doing.
Preface
I have no idea where to put this, but I cannot shake the feeling it should be included in this text. It is a piece I wrote at the start of my “blog” I used to test out ideas via the public.
It was written with the help of my Father In Law (Your Grandfather) and it has meant everything to me since it was written.
And since I am unable to ignore things that continue to bug me for any extended period of time, here it is.
Watch your thoughts, they become your words; watch your words, they become your actions; watch your actions, they become your habits; watch your habits, they become your character; watch your character, it becomes your destiny.
- Lao Tzu
Idle Hands
Recently I reached out to my Father-in-law for some edification on a topic I wanted to get more familiar with. Idle hands are the Devil's plaything.
That's something we have heard many times, but where did it come from? What does it mean? How does it apply to me?
Please note, I will be including the lessons he provided as well as the scripture referenced in the order and placement they were presented to me.
First things first, the overall goal was to answer the question:
"Is ‘Idle hands are the devil's workshop’ a biblical statement?".
With that in mind let's dig in.
We know that it isn't found verbatim anywhere in the Bible, but there are statements and themes that correlate appropriately. Perhaps that tells us why it is often assumed to be a verse itself.
"Nature abhors a vacuum".
He included:
"The apostle Paul notes that those who waste their time in idleness or in a non-productive manner are easily led into sin.".
You could paraphrase that adequately using "idle hands".
"We hear that some among you are idle. They are not busy; they are busybodies"
- 2 Thessalonians 3:11
Think about what you see day to day. What do people generally do on social media? What about even just local news? Perhaps, if you need a more direct example, "entertainment" magazines about the lives of celebrities or the latest gossip?
The last two examples are capitalizing on idleness, but that just shows how pervasive it is in our current culture. The manifestation of idleness leads to the creation or encouragement of busybodies who must fill themselves with news about others in order to ignore their own shortcomings.
That is how it seems to me. Be careful about idleness. It is easy to fall into yet exceedingly tough to get yourself out of.
"And besides they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house, and not only idle but also gossips and busybodies, saying things which they ought not."
- 1 Timothy 5:13
The simple fact of not consistently being productive led those who fell into idleness to become busybodies, or to meddle in the affairs of others, as it was put to me. Think about it, if you are busy (and not simply for the sake of being busy, but meaningfully productive) you will not have time to engage in those activities.
Those pernicious yet tempting activities. They are not as tempting when engaged in the worthwhile, but stay still long enough, especially when you know you have work to do, and those temptations will catch you.
Let's recap here. A lack or absence of activity does not just allow, but by virtue of human nature (we are full of temptations, vices, jealousy, resentments) actually lead to sin.
Emphasis intended on lead(s) to. That must be understood as it has been true throughout our long history. However, we should distinguish between idleness and rest.
Idleness is laziness or doing nothing when you should be doing something. Avoid that trap.
Here's a note from my father-in-law that I really heard, this truly spoke to me:
"Idleness often stems from not having a specific goal or purpose in mind."
Floating along aimlessly is a good way to ensure your future is truly in doubt. Keep putting one foot in front of the other in relation to your goal. But what if you don't have one?
I would say put that foot down anyway. Keep going, do the next thing, and to the best of your knowledge or ability try and do the correct thing.
If it wasn't right, learn from it and change the direction or location of that next step, but keep those feet going. Keep your trajectory forward. You will find it, that goal, that purpose and meaning you so desperately want and so dreadfully need.
On rest being different, the Bible definitely advises rest. The simplest way to put this is: If you never rest, you will die early. If you die early, how productive and useful can you be? Rest when you need it, or work yourself to death.
"Six days thou shalt work, but on the seventh day thou shalt rest: in earing time and in harvest thou shalt rest."
- Exodus 34:21
"Six days thou shalt do thy work, and on the seventh day thou shalt rest: that thine ox and thine ass may rest, and the son of thy handmaid, and the stranger, may be refreshed."
- Exodus 23:12
"And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath"
- Mark 2:27
Considering these themes are repeated many times throughout the Bible, it is important to assume they are vital. These rules operate under the assumption that when one is not resting, they are being productive.
Sit in reverie and watch the changing color of the waves that break upon the idle seashore of the mind.
Let's also take this a step further in regards to what we learn from the Bible and these themes in particular.
Naturally Exodus is where it is most focused, and that is due to what Exodus provides us. Rules. Commandments. Remember your commandments. You shall not steal, murder, lie, covet, engage in infidelity, worship false idols, have other gods, or take his name in vain. You shall observe the sabbath.
Now, for those "shall not" ones, if you are being productive, especially in pursuit of a higher good or even service of a higher being, we can imagine it would be easier to avoid those pitfalls that most, even in secular society, would agree are good rules to live by.
However, idleness provides ample opportunity not to just commit those sins, but also to ponder them, have them invade your thoughts, to allow them to overcome you.
Productivity is not a perfect shield against self-destructive behavior. There will be times that you will fail, regardless. But idleness is the way to guarantee you will fail, that you will make a misstep, and perhaps you will become consumed by vice.
It is only through labor and painful effort, by grim energy and resolute courage, that we move on to better things.
We are meant to move, we are not meant to be still. Entropy is real, progress is necessary, movement starts the process to progress.
We have other lessons we can take as well. Apostle Paul set an example of diligence, as was also conferred to me, in order to foster that ethic of work in others, in those they brought into their flock.
To me that's a message for us, those that wish to be an example more than simply a purveyor of information, that we too must set an example of diligence. We are called to action from time to time not explicitly but implicitly by these texts. This is one of them, we must listen.
Think of other books you may have read. Those about great men, written by great men, inspired by great men. During their early life it is reasonable to expect they had someone to look up to, and reasonable to expect they were exceptionally hard working.
They provided that example, they shaped that great figure. A figure so worthy as to be not only written about, but to use time and attention reading about. We look so hard and through every detail we can in the lives of those we revere but tend to overlook the constant them, diligence.
Be diligent. Show diligence. Sew diligence in those watching you. Believe me when I tell you, someone will notice, you will be helping them mitigate that potential suffering we all have in our lives.
You are far more impactful on the world than you can see, more impactful than can be understood at a glance, and immeasurable to an extent until we become but a memory.
We should also be careful not to forget we have external stimuli that can make it difficult to avoid becoming idle.
"There is work to be done for the Kingdom, and we must not be distracted by the things of the world."
That statement struck me as indispensable for societies to understand and embody if they should continue through times of difficulty or strife.
I am intent on ensuring I never forget it myself. Those distractions will prevent action, which as we well know at this point in this piece means idleness.
Finally, I am of the mind this should end with those verses he felt were important to share with me, as I cannot see how keeping them to myself would be advantageous, especially considering the purpose of my writing. That purpose is you, my dear children.
I completely understand how hard it can be to pay attention to your father for any real length of time, but these are from your grandfather, so keep them near to your heart.
"And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?”
- Luke 2:49
"Then He said to them, “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest."
- Luke 10:2
"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."
- Philippians 4:8
" For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee."
- Proverbs 23:7
"Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;"
- 2 Corinthians 10:5
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Dad
1Ti 5:13 And withal they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not.
1Ti 5:14 I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully.
1Ti 5:15 For some are already turned aside after Satan.