Diligence.

by Ana Wolf

Near the end of 2011, I sat at my desk, endeavoring to tackle one of my many reading assignments. Feeling overwhelmed with the many things I’d love to accomplish in the year ahead, this verse rang through my mind : “…diligence is man’s precious possession.” Proverbs 12:27b (I love it when the Lord’s words come to me at times when I’m struggling, giving me guidance and renewed focus!)

Some days Mr. Lazy likes to come for a visit, especially in moments of tiredness, talking me out of a virtue that the Lord commends in Scripture, such as diligence. Oh, how easy it is to be inspired, but lack the diligence to see a hard project or goal through to its completion.

The other day as I read Proverbs 31, it hit me how replete the description of the Proverbs 31 woman is with active verbs indicating that this woman is not sitting around in laziness. “She seeks wool and flax, she willingly works with her hands."; "she brings her food from afar"; "she rises while it is yet night"; she provides, considers, girds; "strengthens her arms"; she perceives; "stretches out her hands"; "her hand holds"; she extends her hand to the poor; "she reaches out her hands to the needy"; "she makes tapestry"; "she opens her mouth with wisdom"; and "she watches over" her household. 

Or simply said, she's diligent and active. 

Most things worth doing are hard, but they are worth doing with diligence. 

We may want to give up, drop the pen, log onto facebook, close the book, wander around the house - but instead of following laziness, let us pursue a life of diligence and hard work. Let us seek out projects and willingly work with our hands, just like the Proverbs 31 woman. 

And, hey, in the process you may just inspire an onlooker to dust off those books and to tackle a hard thing. I know from personal experience that diligent people are inspiring. :-) Though our first and foremost reason to be diligent is to please our Heavenly Father as we use this "precious possession".