Always Busy? That Might Be the Problem
The hidden form of sloth that looks like productivity… and why it’s keeping you from real closeness with Him
Let’s be honest—most of us don’t think we struggle with sloth.
We’re working. Providing. Building. Staying busy. If anything, the problem feels
like the opposite.
But in The Noonday Devil, Jean-Charles Nault makes a sharp distinction: sloth isn’t
just laziness. It’s avoidance. More specifically, it’s a flight from God.
That changes things. The question isn’t, “Am I doing enough?”
In fact, sloth often shows up as constant motion. Work, projects, podcasts,
responsibilities—good things, even necessary things. But if every spare moment is
filled, when exactly are you standing still before God?
Sloth, at its most dangerous, isn’t laziness but in quiet substitution.
Nault describes sloth as a preference: action over presence, noise over silence,
projects over encounter. And for a lot of men, that lands uncomfortably close to
home. It’s entirely possible to build a life that looks disciplined, productive—even
faithful—while still avoiding the one thing necessary (cf. Luke 10:42). The thing
that bears fruit, which is union with God.
As we’ve finished Lent, a time where we often think about what we’re “doing for
Lent,” are we in fact closer to God?
If this is hitting close to home, and if you’re effort isn’t yielding closeness, it’s ok.
Start today. Take a minute to pause, and ask God what’s on his to-do list. Spend
just a few minutes doing nothing but paying attention to the Lord. It may be
uncomfortable, but it always leads to fruit, not just effort.
