Introduction
Before getting into the meaning of Proverbs 13:4, here’s different Bible translations:
King James Version
The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.
American Standard Version
The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing; But the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.
World English Bible version
The soul of the sluggard desires, and has nothing, but the desire of the diligent shall be fully satisfied.
Proverbs 13:4 Meaning & Commentary
The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied. Proverbs 13:4 (ESV)
The truth is that there are certain things that we all “crave” or “hunger” for in life. The sluggard and the diligent both have cravings and desires. Many of these cravings or desires could even be the same. For example, everyone desires enough finances to live without worrying about money. Most people want to have a good and healthy family life. Most people want to be significant in some way and make a difference.
The difference is that the sluggard does not apply himself in life, and hence he “gets nothing,” as Proverbs 13:4 teaches us. On the other hand, the soul of the diligent is “richly supplied.” To be richly supplied implies that our needs are met. In other words, we could say the following: The sluggard and the diligent person crave similar things in life. However, the sluggard will not attain them, however, the diligent person will.
When Jesus addressed the “things” we need in life to survive and live – he did not condemn people for desiring them: Matthew 6:31-32 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. Jesus acknowledged that their desires were not inherently evil. He acknowledged that even God the Father knows the desires are valid. Instead, he pointed His disciples to the right way to get their desires met, which we will speak about in the next section.
Diligence speaks about consistency, faithfulness, and sticking with something until the results show up. A sluggard is a lazy person who cannot stick with something and press through until the results show up. When we read about “Overnight success stories,” these people have usually been diligent at something for years…. UNTIL the moment of breakthrough arrives!
Application
How can we practically apply Proverbs 13:4 to our lives?
Firstly, as believers – we need to set our mind to seeking the kingdom of God first: Matthew 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. To seek the kingdom of God first is to put God at the center of our lives. It means seeking God’s way of doing things in everything. We cannot do business crookedly and expect God’s blessing in our lives.
So, as we put God first in every area of our lives, apply His word, and mix it with diligence, we will see our souls being “richly supplied” – or our desires and needs being met. The Bible tells us that when we delight ourselves in God, our desires (which include our needs) will be met: Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. To delight means to put someone right at the center of our lives and seek to please them in all we do and say!
But following God must be mixed with diligence – which is intertwined with consistency and faithfulness. Diligence speaks of doing something repeatedly – as long as it takes to see the results in our lives. This means that when we place God at the center of our lives and know what His will is, which is revealed through His word and to us – we need to then apply this to our lives. Then, we need to apply it repeatedly and faithfully; until the results manifest and we see the desires of our soul being diligently supplied!
Doing the right thing occasionally will not get the job done – it takes consistency and sticking with it to see the fruit in our lives!
Prayer
Mighty God, thank You for challenging me through Your word. I know focus and diligence are required to see the desires of my heart being realized in my life.
I choose to place You in the center of my life today and seek Your kingdom and ways in everything that I do. Help me increase and walk in diligence. Strengthen me today to preserve and keep on doing the right things faithfully and consistently. I ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen!
