What would you do if a theme has been running through your heart for many months now and you it starts showing up more frequently?

For a LONG time now diligence has been a theme that has run around my heart like Eric Liddell running around the beaches! The difference? This theme does not take the Sabbath off.

I must admit that I have never been very diligent and that is the root cause of many of the failures in my God-given life. This is something that I hate to admit but God has helped me to come to grips with it and confess it to forgiveness.

I subscribe to an e-zine from John Maxwell. Maxwell is an expert in the field of leadership and mentoring and he has written many books on these subjects. I have read, at least in part, a number of these books and he never fails to amaze me with his insights.

Today I received his monthly newsletter and the first article, the VERY FIRST article, was about diligence!

So many times I take these wonderful articles and file them away for a later date and time but I could not put this away without first reading the article.

Maxwell wrote the article based on a book by author Steven J. Scott called, "The Richest Man Who Ever Lived".

According to Maxwell the richest men today are Bill Gates, worth about $56 Billion dollars, and Warren Buffet, worth about $52 million dollars. These numbers stagger my imagination! I am amazed when I hear of someone winning or inheriting $10 million dollars, but $56 BILLION?!? WOW! I could afford to replace my electrocuted (struck by lightning last spring) dishwasher and get new tires for my truck with that kind of money!

But there is one eclipses these two by far. In fact, he eclipses them both added together! Who am I referring to? King Solomon, of course!

Solomon asked God for wisdom to rule God's people Israel and God granted to him not only the wisdom he sought and far beyond, but also great wealth. His estimated worth in present day dollars, is $1 Trillion dollars! That is $1,000 BILLION dollars! WOW!

Solomon, in his incredible wisdom, wrote this about diligence (or the lack thereof!):

"The hand of the diligent will rule, but the slack hand will be put to forced labor" (Proverbs 12:24).

"The soul of the sluggard craves, but he gets nothing." (Proverbs 13:4)

"He that tills his land shall be satisfied with bread, but he that follows vain persons is void of understanding" (Proverbs 28:19).

These are hard to accept, not that they are not true but I have spent so much time dreaming about what might be (being a sluggard) that I didn't ever start the engines and to get off of the ground.(diligence)

Scott gave some biblical advice for stimulating diligence:

1. Wake up to reality!

   "How long will you lie there," he asks. "When will you get up from your sleep?...poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man." (Proverbs 6:9-11)

    

2. Define Your Vision (I say to set goals)

   "Without a vision, the people perish." (Proverbs 29:18)

The bottom line is this: God has shown me, in various ways and with various means, that I need to strive to do my best and only then will I glorify Him in my life.

This started last year as He took me through the valley of darkness, which came about, I am convinced, because of my lack of diligence and I achieved nothing because I was so intent on dreaming about what might be that I never did anything to achieve it.

I am waking up! It is not an easy change since I have spent the last forty-two years cultivating this lifestyle, but I recognize the problem, have confessed it to the Lord, and am taking steps to add a liberal dose of diligence to my life.

I can't say where it will lead me but I do know one thing: It glorifies God when I do my best in whatever I do. This is my goal this year.

It has to start in the heart, my heart. You all can send me encouraging words and even whack me upside the head I do need both now and again) but until I fully engage diligence through discipline and self-control, I will never glorify God as I should and I will miss that wonderful blessing.

I have a lot of work to do but it brings me a measure of peace that I am actually facing my giants and not just burying my head in the sand in hopes that my problems will go away.

I have so many wonderful role models that God has brought into my life. Some are close and some are far away but in one way or another they have all impacted me for good.

The original question is "What would you do…?" and the answer is: Face the problem. It is not going to go away and it will fester and infect others if left unattended.

This seems simplistic when seen on paper but when the rubber meets the road it will not be an easy journey but a necessary one. I am excited because I know that God will be traveling this road with me, cheering me on, holding my hand, and strengthening me in the inner person. Praise His name!

It looks like the writing bug has bit me again so I will say, "Good bye"…for now!