The ground was covered with weeds and the stone wall was in ruins. If your girlfriend or fianc is slow to help her parents, ambivalent towards her schooling, sluggish in her work, always complaining, or slothful in spiritual labors, DO NOT marry that woman, because she is no woman. a. We need to be hard workers. Ask God to give you opportunities to become a hard worker, and then look for Him to answer in every realm of your life (home, work, school, ministry, etc.). The cross is Man may not always observe how we work, but God is always watching, and He is our ultimate Master. very lovely Sign up for our newsletter: If we will put it forth, then the gifts that God has given, and which are not really ours unless we put it forth, will pass into the very substance of our being, and unfold themselves according to the life that is in them; even the life that is in Jesus Christ Himself, in all forms of beauty and sweetness and power and blessedness. Arise early! Calamity struck, I-75 was being built, and would bypass the town of Corbin, KY, meaning nobody would stop at the motel or eat at his restaurant. An approved worker diligently studies the Word and seeks to apply it to Even when he comes home from his day job, he will have the job of nurturing his children, maintaining a home, and serving his brethren. In a time of economic crisis, many people today would love some hard work! read more, Scripture: Now it strikes me that we may gain some instruction if we throw together the various objects to which in Scripture, and especially in this letter, we are exhorted to direct this virtue of diligence, and mark how comprehensive its range, and how, for all beauty of character and progress in the Divine life, it is regarded as an indispensable condition. our society who think When we understand God's design and heart for our work lives, it becomes something we no longer push through but thrive from. read more, Scripture: Consider its ways and be wise. Sounds began to come from the back seat indicating that an imminent stop would be well advised. You want to rest? All the while the game of life is being played all around us and we are sitting on the bench, sound asleep. Sooner begun, sooner donethe first and last steps are usually the hardest (English Proverb). Pull some strings. Accept the fact that while work is supposed to be work, yet inside this work resides numerous opportunities of which I would not otherwise be able to utilize. It is the reason we enjoy electricity, modern medicine, technology, and all the other comforts of modern life. [Proverbs 11:29; 15:22, 32; 18:15, 22; 19:20; 21:16], 10. In Scripture diligence is highly commended. It is the word with which the Apostle, left solitary in his prison, besought his sole trusty companion Timothy to 'make haste so as to come to him before winter.' Enter your email address and we will send you instructions on how to reset your password. [Proverbs 3:27-28; 12:26; 21:25-26; 24:21-22; 25:21-22], 13. Many people move but are not diligent. It is the way of staying in bed. Things invariably go wrong in ways that we cannot anticipate, because of our limited experience. 'If that servant begin to say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and to be slothful, and to eat and drink with the drunken, the lord of that servant will come in an hour when he is not aware.' Diligence is engaging the mind for productivity (Proverbs 21:5) 3. That means that if you are a servant and you work hard, you will some day be promoted over a son who is legally due the inheritance. 10 27 13 Diligent Leadership (Great for Labor Day), Scripture: Here at Grace to You Europe we take our data protection responsibilities very seriously and, as you would expect, have undertaken a significant programme of work to ensure that we are ready for this important legislative change. How long will you lie there, you sluggard? "Every Pharaoh that is pursuing Yes, some have more than others, and no, my experiences do not enable me to exactly or completely sympathize with your own. Expositions Of Holy Scripture Ephesians Peter. We have to have a humble attitude. Secondly, his work is not for himself, but for others, and that faith and hope that others will benefit drives him on. Nazarene, Serving the Lord is a lifelong mission, although the nature of the work may change. Therefore, I want you to decree loud and clear like this: I have been reevaluating this phrase as a challenge. There is always some reason why they could not work or succeed, and it is never their fault. Diligence makes God's gifts ours. The easy way is the way of procrastination. Notice, it was, Again, Jesus suffering from thirst and hunger used His thirst as an occasion to reach a lost Samaritan (. It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man. Proverbs 6:6, Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth. Every morning I try to get up at 6:00am to go to the gym to work out. It is good to move with speed, but diligence is something more than mere movement or even quick movement. Hurray! The rest is history. It is the way of no plans, no forethought, no enthusiasm, no diligence. Nobody goes to heaven in his sleep. Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons sons (Deuteronomy 4:9). Understand that frequently you are not going to receive encouragement or applause for getting started. There is a middle ground between greed and laziness. Good, wise, saintly people may be industrious and wealthy without being greedy lovers of money. Ruth 2:1-7. I am struck with how much Proverbs has to say about hard work. Ask the Spirit to make you a hard worker for God. How much time off? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men (Proverbs 22:29). B. If she has not proven her interest and determination through hard work in serving her parents in the past, her training at present, or her preparations for the future, then she will not work hard for you or your children! Charismatic, Thesis: The writers of this ancient wisdom literature inspired by God try to convey the message to us of Dont be lazy be diligent! In other words Make a commitment to work hard at being all God wants you to be!, Series: Practical Proverbs God wants us to be diligent in virtually every corner of our lives. Lazy people genuinely feel tired! Nehemiah 4:16-23, when we serve God with all our heart through serving the Man of God we selflessly help to push the Kingdom Agenda, May the peace of the Lord be with you. B. This vanishing cultural work ethic emphasizes: Although work ethic and some of these words are foreign to our English translations of the Bible, most of the underlying concepts and virtues are taught by Scripture, which is our text and standard for Christians. Blessed is that servant whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing?' Yet, if we pay attention, he will provide an opportunity to serve him every day in some way. 'Raw haste' is 'half sister to delay.' But as the clock ticks away, the easy way becomes harder, and the hard way becomes easier. The day of full salvation, repose, and blessedness is near dawning. Diligence is the ability to maintain productivity in all seasons (Proverbs 27:23) 5. Would you work an extra shift for 18 months, just so people could not say something bad about you, possibly injuring your credibility as a Christian, just so you could be more effective in reaching the lost? The easy road takes you down to the bottom. God gave you two feet. Hence we gather that no Christian growth is possible unless a man gives his mind to it. A great need comes upon him, which required time to prepare precious time that he has twiddled away and so, his life falls into ruin. Dawn, noon & moon Break down the project into smaller, more manageable portions. But being self-motivated can be liberating. After I preach this sermon, the hearer should be able to Web page addresses and e-mail addresses turn into links automatically. In 2 Peter chapter one, before Peter even mentions the first of the virtues to add to our lives, he mentions, One single year of faith has virtually no value: 2 Peter 1:5, One day of being morally courageous has no impact in the long run: 2 Peter 1:5, Being a good Bible study for a few weeks isnt going to give us much wisdom: 2 Peter 1:6. God promises to reward the diligent with blessings, including the following: The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat (Proverbs 13:4). Thus, the first notion in the word is haste, which crowds every moment with continuous effort, and lets no hindrances entangle the feet of the runner. Go to the ant, you sluggard! Take it easy. Diligence in Hinduism "Who so performeth - diligent, content - the work allotted him, whatever it be, lays hold of perfectness!"-The Bhagavad Gita 18:45. Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds (Proverbs 27:23). Noah would have been reduced to using much simpler technology (no power tools maybe no metal tools). Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life (Proverbs 4:23). There are those in Earnestness is dumb, and therefore it is terrible. Seest thou a man diligent in his business? Our number one concern now is not what is the work, but how much vacation time do we get? One month of self-control will not help us become all we can be in this life. Anywhere. Be honest with your employer about how much you work. Obtaining money to help others is a noble goal and ideal (, However, wisdom is superior to money, as are most spiritual pursuits (, Make sure you do not use your ambition to build a defense and help others as a cloak to pursue a, Ultimately, you must trust in the Lord, not riches (. Diligence is a virtue but when God is taken out of the picture, it becomes a liability characterized by vanity, sorrow, hard labour, restlessness, failure and poverty (Ps 127:1-2). For myself personally, I have found that the middle of any project can rather be the difficult part, especially if I look up and around with the dreaded realization, I am not even half done yet. 'Wherefore, giving all haste, add to your faith.'. The Old Testament says, 'The hand of the diligent maketh rich'; the New Testament promises unchangeable riches to the same hand. Please be aware that these items are sent out from our office in the UK. Genesis 24:1-23, Pro 6:6 Lazy people should learn a lesson from the way ants live. God turns our weakness into incredible strength. Introduction- May our observable work ethic open doors unto Bible study and conversion rather than close them. Theme: Character development is not an important part of life?it IS life! Again, the lazy man will have his reason to justify his laziness. When will you get up from your sleep? Lord Jesus, Thank You for Your faithfulness. God teaches us to trust in him and in his Son our Saviour. As the calendar records the years, it becomes increasingly evident that the easy way rests upon a hazardous foundation of shifting sands, whereas the hard way builds solidly a foundation of confidence that cannot be swept away. It is so easy to just stay in bed, sleep a little longer, watch a few more minutes of TV, facebook just 5 more minutes, play one more level of a video game, etc. As mentioned, the beginning or end of an important task can be the most difficult. Paul tells us to be diligent. Little progress will be made if we do not work as feeling that 'the night is far spent, the day is at hand,' or as feeling the apparently opposite but really identical conviction, 'I must work the works of Him that sent me while it is day. Laziness leaves one helpless to meet unexpected needs. Diligence almost always leads to a good end. Diligence refers to attentive, earnest, careful, zealous, persistent effort and application toward a given goal. The greatest success and wealth pertains to riches not of this life. II. John Ortberg is a master communicator, whether through preaching or through writing. The "sluggard" is one who is habitually inactive or lazy. Rise up early and work until late. Sermon Submitted 9 months ago. After clicking 'Register', you will receive an email with a link to verify your account and to complete your registration. The Season of Easter Series: When Jesus Shows Up God, Prayer and hard work And whatever. [Proverbs 6:6-11; 24:30-34]. Certainly not! God is calling all of us to the hard road. Happiness in labor comes less from the work that comes to you, but it comes more from the attitude you bring to your work! For example, consider your choice of major in school, or sought position in employment: Many people advocate a job that makes you happy. "Equipping and encouraging people to keep believing in Jesus", Copyright 2020 Keep Believing Ministries. Thorns had come up everywhere. Foolishness is born in the heart of a child. Proverbs 22:15. 1 Corinthians 3:6-9, Denomination: No man or woman, old or young, white or black can make it, succeed or prevail in whatsoever by diligence, strength or hard work alone (1Sam 2:7-9). Being tired is no excuse for bypassing the opportunity to work, and no one appreciates the murmuring, because such complaining belittles the toil that others produce. Hebrews 10:26-39, Habakkuk 1, Habakkuk 2:2-4. I went past the field of the sluggard and past the vineyard of the man who lacks judgement. He just lets it sit there and rot. Ask the Spirit to make you a hard worker for God.b. It is difficult to prosper by the keeping of promises, the deliverance of value and goods and services and deeds and denouncing the so-called shrewdness with sound merit and good ethics. Find stories, quotes, humor, and statistics to bring your sermon on Work to life. read more, Scripture: Lets pray together. Nehemiah 4:21. Blessed are you, O land, when your king is the son of nobles, and. Dedicate part of your profit and increase to helping others, and thereby avoid the cruel descent into oppression and destructive desire for wealth at all costs. Allowed HTML tags: