Diligence

Today our church began a brief series about giving. I may be in the minority, but I always enjoy the reminders of God's command for us to give. However, one point made in the sermon today has been ringing in my mind. That point was simply "Be diligent in everything you do". It may sound odd, but that word..."diligent"...keeps bouncing around in my head like an intense ping pong match. Like a voice reminding me over and over the importance of being diligent.

So, I'm convicted. Exactly how many things in my life do I do with diligence? In all honesty, I would say very few if any. I am slack in many areas of my life. How much gets forgotten or slides under the radar in my every day life? I'm very un-diligent (is that a word?) with taking care of myself. I leave a lot to be desired with my housekeeping skills. My marriage, my kids, my friendships, my service, my prayer life, my quiet time with God. Not one of those things can I confidently say that I approach with diligence.

I ask myself then, why? Well, often times I make excuses that seem totally legitimate. Excuses that many of my family and friends would be completely sympathetic to. I might get frustrated about cleaning up the same mess EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. but that is because I'm doing it for my kids. The kids that I will call "ungrateful" or "irresponsible" for leaving their things and messes laying about the house.  Might my attitude be different if I were living the way I'm commanded to? Colossians 3:23-24 says "Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ." I don't need to lose weight and take care of my body for myself or my family, but because I am grateful for the life and body that I was given. I need to do my best to be diligent about caring for myself instead of disrespecting this gift. When I'm on my knees scrubbing toilets and doing the 17th load of laundry that week I need to remember to do those things with a grateful heart. I'm working for the Lord from whom ALL blessings flow.

While I wrote this down to keep myself from getting a headache from the ping pong match, I also hope that putting these thoughts out there will keep me accountable. It's so easy to approach a new idea or fresh perspective with a lot of gusto and excitement, but it's even easier to fall into a routine and eventually get bored. It is my prayer to always remember that I am working for the Most High and not the people who can let me down because they, like me, are imperfect humans.

The following quote will be something I revisit often in the days ahead as I strive to become more diligent in everything that I do:

“Thank God every morning when you get up that you have something to do which must be done, whether you like it or not. Being forced to work, and forced to do your best, will breed in you temperance, self-control, diligence, strength of will, content, and a hundred other virtues which the idle never know.” - Charles Kingsley