Yesterday we saw from Proverbs 13:4 that it is diligence and not desire that brings about success in life. All kinds of people have big plans and dreams in life but many don’t achieve them because they don’t apply diligence to their dreams.
They don’t put in the necessary work and continued effort until their goals are achieved. I emphasized the words “work” and “until” because those are implicit in the definition of the word “diligence.”
My dictionary says:
Diligence n. Persistent application to one’s work.
Diligent adj. Marked by persevering, painstaking effort.
We are diligent in our undertakings when we put forth all the effort necessary to get the job done and we keep at it until it is finished. Persistent, persevering effort.
As was mentioned in yesterday’s Minute Message, it is vitally important that we determine whether or not our goals are YHWH’s goals for us. If our dreams are given to us by YHWH, then we must persist and persevere in our undertaking of them. Our persistence and effort in pursuing the will of YHWH in our lives are a result of our love and devotion in serving and following YHWH.
So we should apply ourselves to our desires first and foremost with prayer, and then step-by-step and day-by-day keeping up with the Spirit until we achieve those dreams we have determined are YHWH’s goal for our lives.
And “day-by-day” introduces an important concept to successfully applying diligence to our goals. Day-by-day holds both a trick and a trap to accomplishment of big goals. Proverbs 24 demonstrates the trap, and the trick is to do the opposite:
Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth; and thy want as an armed man. (Pro 24:33-34 KJV)
Our days pass one by one. And that is how we must live our lives. Little by little. Our goals and dreams give shape to the big picture, but the big picture is composed of individual brush stokes laid down day upon day. And it does matter what kind of strokes we appy.
The character of Proverbs 24 paints with a lazy hand. Notice how it happens. A little bit consistently applied. Always a little and always lazy. Step-by-step, day-by-day, always sleepily.
It would be quite possible for the lazy person here to be dreaming big dreams and planning grandiose schemes while exercising laziness. Laziness and procrastination go hand in hand. Many place great faith in the idea that there is always tomorrow for doing the actual work. That’s the trap.
And here’s the catch: “So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth; and thy want as an armed man.”
One that travels has a destination. And the traveler arrives at his or her intended destination one step at a time. In our proverb, the lazy person’s destination of poverty was arrived at by heading toward it one step at a time. All the little steps, the daily choices to sleep and rest rather than to sweat and work, added up to arriving at poverty. But in this case the arrival is an unpleasant surprise.
Most people don’t intend to see their goals disappear, especially when it comes combined with lack. But when they wake up and realize where they have ended up, their reality hits with a sudden and violent blow and they are powerless to respond. They are left with nothing. Their poverty has come upon them like an armed man.
And poverty can indeed be emotionally violent if arrived at unexpectedly. Poverty brings about physical harm through lack of resources for health and well-being. Poverty steals opportunity because all energy must be expended in basic survival which leaves little to build upon for the future. And there are always people present who will take advantage of the poor in their poverty. Being poor is a very expensive and oppressive way to live.
So why would anyone want to go there? Most don’t want to go there.
It must be noted that some had no choice about the matter. They did not choose day-by-day to sleep rather than work. But still they find themselves in poverty through circumstances beyond their control (which includes YHWH’s will–but that is another topic). For them, YHWH defends their cause and has called us to do the same. He has also called us to strengthen their hand and to provide aid and comfort to the poor.
It must be remembered that this proverb is not about those in poverty. It is about those who end up in poverty by reason of laziness (lack of diligence). There are many ways to end up in poverty that are not connected at all with laziness. With that said, let’s return to what this proverb is about: arriving at poverty step by step through daily laziness.
The lazy person (or in other words, the non-diligent person) did not intend to end up in poverty. But they painted that life one stroke at a time. When all the strokes are put together the picture painted is poverty. And that is an unexpected and harsh picture for them.
So the trick for us is to do the opposite. We must apply ourselves today to doing what is in our ability today to do toward our goal. It doesn’t matter if we don’t have all we need to complete the whole job. We just need to work with what we have today. And then we need to do that again tomorrow. And then the next day. And the next day. For how long? Until we arrive at our destination.
Each day as we choose to do some work here, learn a new skill there, polishing and tweaking this and that, we take another step in the direction of our desires. Step by step we head toward the destination of our dreams. And then one day we find that we have arrived. That is being diligent. And that, not desire, brings about the good things in life.
Abba, Father, thank you for calling us through dreams and desires you have placed within us. Help us to discern your goals for us and separate them from our own fleshly pursuits. And then help us to apply ourselves to pursue those desires you have placed within us with all diligence, working day by day with what you provide until we have completed what you have given us to do. We ask these things in the name of Yeshua our Messiah. Amen.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What do you think? Please leave a comment below and let us know! Thank you.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Don’t miss a Minute Message! Get it delivered daily to your e-mail. Simple and free sign-up with this form!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Copyright 2010 Jim Zboran. All rights reserved.
Permission to reproduce and distribute hereby granted if the following four conditions are met: 1) The article must be reproduced in its entirety and the content may not be modified in any way. 2) Author’s name and copyright information, including these permission conditions must appear with article. 3) Author’s contact information (jim@jimzboran.com | www.jimzboran.com) must appear with article. 4) Article must be freely distributed without charge or financial gain.
