Keep
thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
(Proverbs 4:23 KJV)
Last year I decided to join
in with many others and seek the Lord for the word He desired me to focus on
and use it to guide the year (and write blog posts about it). My word for last year was “abide”. To read last year’s post see: My One Word for 2016: Abide. While I learned some about what it means to abide
in Christ, in the vine; I think I may have missed some important pieces too,
such as letting the word truly guide my life and year. Nevertheless, I plan to continue to abide in Christ
as long as I live!
As I pursued the Lord
regarding this year’s word, there were several contenders. Finally, a few days into 2017 the word
came. Prayerfully, this word will “stick”
and guide me through the year (even with getting an incredibly slow start). My heart’s desire is for this word to impact
the whole of my life, not just my spiritual life.
My one word for 2017 is: diligent. If
I focus on what this word truly means at the deepest level and its various
nuances, this year could really change my life in a positive way. To meet my many goals, I will need to be
diligent! This is something that does
not happen overnight; it happens slowly, but surely over time—as new habits
develop.
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| Wordificator creation by K. Jolly, All Rights Reserved. |
Diligent (noun) is defined as: “1. constant and earnest effort to accomplish what is undertaken. 2. the degree of care and caution expected of a person.”[1]
Diligent (adjective) is defined as: “1. constant and earnest in effort and application; attentive and persistent in doing something… 2. done or pursued with persevering attention…”[2]
A few synonyms for diligent: attentive, industrious, painstaking,
persevering, and studious.
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| WordCloud created by K. Jolly. All Rights Reserved. |
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| Personal Photo. Graduate school Commencement, May 1999. |
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| Personal Photo. End of Undergraduate Finals, William Penn University. May 1995 |
In pondering the dictionary
definition of diligent, I can recall times
where I was diligent in pursuing a rather long term goal. The long term goal was attaining two college
degrees. As a part of my master’s degree
work, I decided to pursue the thesis option.
Researching, writing, and defending the thesis required diligence over
the long-haul. Keep in mind, my topic
had little to no published research, so I was creating a possible theory to
explain the phenomena I experienced and was continuing to see in interviews
with my participants.
Keep
thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
(Proverbs 4:23 KJV)
We are to diligently guard our hearts, as the writer of Proverbs
admonishes us. Being diligent is what God
desires from His children. In God’s
perspective, we are either “all in” or “all out”—fence sitting is not
allowed. To humbly walk with the Lord,
to abide in the vine, requires a degree of focus and diligence. Diligently pursuing the Lord (to discover He
is pursuing us too!), while diligently studying the Scriptures gives us a new
perspective on the whole of life.
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| Personal Photo. |
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| Personal Photo |
And the brethren
immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither
went into the synagogue of the Jews.
These were more
noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all
readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were
so.
(Acts 17:10-11
KJV)
By keeping alert and diligently studying the Scriptures as did the
Bereans, we will be prepared, ready for the Lord’s return (like the wise
virgins see, Matthew 25:1-13). Preparing
and doing the necessary work with alertness and a watchful readiness will make
all the difference in our lives and in the lives of those around us.
The woman described in Proverbs 31 is a good example of one who is
diligent—doing the various tasks at hand.
Yes, this is “work”, however, it is work with meaning and great reward—reward
particularly throughout eternity. When we
have a solid work ethic others will take note.
Sadly, a good work ethic will not always be rewarded or appreciated; in
fact, it will be looked down upon—work hard, nevertheless.
And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his
hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.
(Luke 9:62 KJV)
Being diligent is reflected in Jesus’ admonition about putting your
hand to the plow and not looking back. What
is true of kingdom work is also true in the workaday world where we reside. The focus is forward, not backwards—focusing
on what lies before benefits us far more than being encumbered by the
past.
As this year slowly unfolds, I anticipate learning and doing more than last
year by actively and diligently doing
what lies before me. I am looking forward
to seeing the difference this one word can make in my life and in my home.
I know that I will need encouragement along the way. Who knows, there may be more blog posts on
this topic throughout the year! How can
we encourage others to be diligent in living for the Lord?
If you had a word for last year, how did it help you?
If you have a word for this year how is it guiding you, thus far?
Please join with me in prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for developing within us the quality of
diligence—the ability to focus on and stick with a task until it is
complete. Remind us how all that we do
is to be done as unto You, knowing this should impact how we approach our daily
work. Fill us with the desire to
diligently study Your Word, to search the Scriptures for ourselves and not take
others’ words as true. Likewise, instill
in us a desire to be diligent in all other aspects of our lives, and thereby
reap the dividends of a life lived to the fullest with the end in mind. May we be always ready for Jesus’ return! In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.
From My Heart to Yours,
Kim
[1]
See “diligent” Random House Webster’s
College Dictionary (1996). Published by Random House, New York.
[2]
See “diligent” Random House Webster’s
College Dictionary (1996). Published by Random House, New York.
