READ: Proverbs 19:15, 20:4, 20:13, 21:5
If we had the
opportunity to survey thousands of people and ask them – “what makes a
successful person?” – we would get many answers. It’s very likely that if were
to compare this list with what actually leads
to success, certain traits would be overemphasized and others would be largely
ignored. One such trait that may be undernoted is “planning”. We live in a
society that adores spontaneity and idolizes speed. God’s Word, and Proverbs
especially, highlights something called, “diligence”, which “planning” flows
from.
“The plans of the
diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to
poverty” (21:5). We must ask ourselves, if we desire to be wise, do we spend
enough time planning? Put another way, are we intentional about every area of
life? One great leader, when asked about his success, declared that, “greatness
is determined by what a person does in his spare time. In his spare time, he
thinks and prays.” This is diligence!
This diligence
and planning is contrasted with laziness and oversleeping in the book of
Proverbs. “Slothfulness casts into a deep sleep, and an idle person will suffer
hunger” (19:15). Slothfulness is really a condition of the heart. It resides
within the person who has few goals, who takes no time to consider that one day
they will be held to account by God for their life. Often God will bring
considerable challenges into their life to try to “awaken” them to reality. Of
course, we never have to get to this point if we are diligent.
What kind of
planning should we do? What must we be diligent in? Areas include: our
devotional lives, our relationships (marriage, parenting), our jobs, our spare
time, our purity, how we treat our bodies (sleep and nutrition), the use of our
spiritual gifts and much more. It’s a lot of work, yes, but this will lead to
much fruit in our lives.
JOURNALING AND PRAYER
1.
Consider
in prayer whether you are a diligent person, or “slothful”? Be honest with
yourself and before God. Thank Him for the strength to remain diligent where
you are. Also ask Him for the power to overcome any laziness you may have.
2.
Take
a look at the list of areas in the final paragraph of today’s devotional.
Reflect on this question – are you diligent in each of these areas? The rest of
this Foundations devotional will
provide you with the opportunity to consider many of these areas as we consider
what God has to say about them.
