We all need and depend on other people. That’s just part of life. Working and interacting with others is necessary. It’s also fun and rewarding. We can do together what no one person can do alone. And the flip side is…when people we depend on drop the ball or miss an assignment, everyone around them takes a hit. 

Today’s proverb talks about sluggards—people who don’t carry their weight. They may be lazy or lethargic, distracted or disengaged, but at the end of the day, they leave a sour taste in our mouths. 

Proverbs 10:26 

Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, so is the sluggard to those who send him.

The sluggard’s failure not only leaves a sour taste in our mouths; they also paralyze our progress. Ever get a face full of smoke? You are blinded until the smoke goes away and your eyes stop burning. In the same way, a sluggard can slow down or even stop the momentum of an entire team.

So…at home, at work, at church…carry your weight, do your job, and do it well. Others depend on you. Don’t leave them with a bad taste in their mouths or smoke in their eyes. 

Father, remind us that others are always impacted by what we do and how we do it. People depend on us. Help us not to let them down.

For Christ’s sake.

Amen.