As if dealing with my selfishness wasn’t enough, God has been bringing even more to my attention. I spoke a bit of it in my kitchen post. It is that dreaded word: LAZY. Since I decided to focus on the positive traits rather than the negative, this post is on Diligence…or my blatant lack thereof.
In the past month, I have had to come face to face with some pretty tough things. I felt a bit like I was being pummeled with all of them, but I know God has a reason for hitting me upside the head with all of these things at once. He always does.
So, what were my realizations and what have I been doing about them this past month? Take a gander…see anything familiar?
1. I have trouble seeing tasks to completion.
I am very good at starting projects. Finishing them? Not so good. When I consider the why behind this, I have to admit it is a lack of follow through. Anything that doesn’t HAVE to be done, often doesn’t get done. It goes back to the tyranny of the urgent. I allow things to become urgent before I complete them. This leaves me in a perpetual state of Undone.
To change this, I am trying to complete some of those less than urgent projects little by little. I’m also preventing “fires” by being aware of those things that are close to being out of hand and nipping them in the bud. Avoiding the Land of Undone keeps me from living in the World of Overwhelmed.
2. Resting is good. Vegging is not.
I have 11 weeks left in this pregnancy. I am tired. I am big. I am slow. I do a few things and my hips start hurting, my back starts aching, and I have to sit. I don’t feel bad about this fact. It just is what it is. HOWEVER, I often find myself sitting LONG after I should have gotten back up to tackle something else. Why? Because I am sidetracked. The internet beckons to me. A book on the shelf beside my chair calls me by name. The phone rings and I obediently answer it. Over and over again throughout the day, I get lost.
To counteract this, I am shutting my computer down more often, I am keeping running lists of things that need to be accomplished each day. I am forcing myself to be more aware of my surroundings and stay on task.
3. I let things get out of hand with the children.
This is a tough one. My body and mind are tired. I really don’t want to get up and discipline or reroute or train. But I have to. I am the mother. They are the children. The Bible is quite clear that foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child {Proverbs 22:15} and a child left to his own will bring shame on his mother {Proverbs 29:15}. Whose fault is it if a child is left to his own? MINE.
I have to get up. I have to take care of things when they happen. I have to prevent issues. I have to disciple and discipline. It’s hard work, but if I want to see fruit someday, I had better be diligent NOW.
It hasn’t been easy to change my ways. It never is. I’ve had some really great friends cheering me on and not letting me get by with excuses. In fact, if you think about it, you could find a legitimate excuse for everything, couldn’t you?
I’m pregnant.
Hello! I’m ALWAYS pregnant.
I have a lot of children.
All the more reason to be diligent.
I’ve had a lot of not-so-pleasant things happen to me.
Hasn’t everyone?
and the list goes on…
We are not martyrs to our circumstances. Take a look at the Biblical heroes. Was there a single one of them who lived an easy life? No. I have to keep running. I have to keep looking to the prize. I have to avoid focusing on the extras, the nonessentials, the ugly stuff.
God has been quite faithful to keep my eyes and ears open to His calling. I continue to lean on Him to teach me this thing called diligence. It is important to Him; therefore, it is important to me.
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I’d love to hear from you on what the Lord has been weeding out of your life lately. It’s such an encouragement to keep going when we hear of others moving forward as well!
Difficult Words Series:
Self Denial
Obedience
Diligence – this post
Discipline
Contentment
Tracey says
Wow and ouch. We are at close to the same place in pregnancy and it is just soooo easy to veg. I have so much to do (getting ready to start homeschooling, prepping for baby and a move) I just can’t afford to veg. And my “babies” need a consistent momma. *sigh* I guess it’s time to get moving… 😉
Clara says
The Lord has been working with me on several issues, but the one most fresh on my mind is the issue of greed & being frugal. In fact, I wrote a post about it over on my blog. I enjoyed reading your post on diligence though – it is a tough lesson to learn and one I have nowhere near mastered in my own life either. And I’m not pregnant. LOL.
Clara says
The above-mentioned post on my blog is titled “how does a wise woman spend”, in case I post again before you get to read my comment!! 🙂
http://danielandclara.blogspot.com/2010/06/how-does-wise-woman-spend.html
Mama Mirage says
I have noticed myself slipping with the keeping up with the discipline lately also. For the last couple days I’ve had to ask God to help me to remain consistent even when I just want to be left in peace for 3 seconds. It seems every time my bottom hits my chair that’s when the bickering starts and oh how I do not want to get back up again! It hurts to move and I’m so tired! But as you said, I want to see fruit in my children and if I let them get away with bickering now I’m allowing them to build habits harder to break down the road, and worse, to cause each other hurts that will compile and become resentment and broken relationships that will take longer and more work to heal. Better for their little hearts and souls if I drag my aching behind across the room right away and correct, instruct, and elicit apologies to heal the rift between them before it gets wider. I’m feeling pretty weak in my resolve lately though so there’s alot of prayer going in the direction of needing His help to keep my babies’ good in mind above the pain in my hips and back.
Amy Matthews says
Thanks for this post. It sure hits home for me. Its easy to be in this bloggy world without revealing who we really are and the trails and failures that we really have, your honesty ministers to me. Thanks again.
Melissa Multitasking Mama says
I struggle with this as well. Having MS and lupus I find it easy to make excuses for not being diligent. Then I remember that I will give account for how I spent my time here on earth and get motivated again. Thanks for this post!
Amanda says
Wow…what a phenomenal post. I am due any day now with our 6th and I can relate to almost everything you listed. I’ve just recently found your blog (this week!) and I am excited to follow your journey.
Candice says
Good for you, Amy! Hang in there; it is so hard to keep going in those last few weeks…maybe the ‘nesting’ will kick in for you and give you a little more energy! 🙂
Melissa Morgner says
This is me to the tee! I’m a great beginner. In fact, I have so many ideas of things to start, I can barely finish anything! But I’ve realized that it’s not a good thing to have so many unfinished things. The Lord is giving me tools (fun ones too, say iTouch) to stay on track with the boring, mundane tasks of everyday life. Thanks for sharing from your heart.
shannon says
yes! !
We are moving and with very little warning. Things are getting done at lightning speed but with lots of stress and even great expense to pay others.
and yet, if I had been diligent in my life, things wouldn’t be so difficult and I wouldn’t be chasing 3 years worth of the unfinished in 6 weeks.
I too have been learning that I need diligence in my life. To stop listening to mine and other peoples excuses for why I never seem to get anything done. Lazy is such an ugly word when it pretty much sums up my work ethic. I get a lot done because I have to. Others admire that. But really, I do just enough to scrape by- or only the things that the outside world gives credit for.