In the Bible, an idle mind is the devil's workshop. What does this mean?

Answer by  rbiales (3441)

This isn't in the Bible, it was a common saying in 1721 collected by Thomas Fuller in Gnomologia. There are many ideas that seem to be in the Bible that are not. More: "The higher the hair, the closer to God" "cleanliness is next to Godliness", "footprints in the sand" and so on.

Answer by  tamarawilhite (17883)

When someone is not kept busy and focused on productive activities, they will eventually think of mischief and then evil. If one has productive work and has to think about that work, one will not have time to consider vice and sin much less to commit them. It is the opposite of "hands to work and hearts to god".