Until recently, I used to think that the word “sloth” meant laziness.  In my mind, I would picture some lazy person wasting away on their couch in front of a television.  Since I don’t watch much television, and I’m mostly average sized, I felt fairly confident that I didn’t have any slothful tendencies.

Sloth however, when considered from a spiritual perspective, has a much deeper meaning.  In Latin the word “sloth” is “acedia,” which is derived from the Greek “akedia.”  Akedia means “absence of caring.”  So sloth is much more than just laziness, it’s an overall spiritual listlessness.  If a person doesn’t approach life with some measure of excitement about God’s creation, or approach each day as an opportunity to joyfully use his or her gifts to the fullest, then that person may suffer from some degree of sloth.

We all have different personalities.  We’re not all called to show tremendous zeal in everything that we do.  Some of us are more enthusiastic than others.  Still, it is virtuous to be diligent and zealous in the use of our gifts, and it’s sinful to walk through life with a spiritual apathy.