Spiritually Lazy Saints
We are all capable of being spiritually lazy saints. We want to stay off the rough roads of life, and our main objective is to secure a peaceful retreat from the world.
"Let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together" (Hebrews 10: 24-25). The idea put forth in this passage from Hebrews is of stirring up one another and of keeping ourselves together. Both of these require initiative, our willingness to take the first step toward Christ-realization, not the initiative toward self-realization. To live a distant, withdrawn, and secluded life is diametrically opposed to spirituality as Jesus Christ taught it.
The true test of our spirituality occurs when we come up against injustice, degradation, ingratitude, and turmoil, all of which have the tendency to make us spiritually lazy. While being tested, we want to use prayer and Bible reading for the purpose of finding a quiet retreat. We us God only for the sake of getting peace and joy.
Simple active work and spiritual activity are not the same thing. Active work can actually be the counterfeit of spiritual activity. The real danger in spiritual laziness is that we do not want to be stirred up, all we want to hear about is a spiritual retirement from the world.