Saturday, August 29, 2009

Diligence and Procrastination

I have a weakness. I have a major flaw. My lack of diligence along with proper communication have been affecting my life and my ability to do what I needed to do for my family. The paradoxical character of the Christian is revealed through life and seen by many. Every Christian is a citizen of heaven and to that sacred citizenship even though each Christian lives in a sinful world and sin will happen.

One cure for procrastination is more diligence, regardless of the task. The dictionary defines PROCRASTINATE as "to put off intentionally and habitually the doing of something that should be done."

Today we are obsessed with protecting and strengthening our physical hearts while forgetting that the truly important issue is the state of our spiritual hearts. "Heart" is used a number of different ways in Scripture. Paul told the Colossians: "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men...It is the Lord Christ you are serving" (Colossians 3:23-24). Someone has said, "Today was tomorrow yesterday." Indeed it was. And it is just as true too that today will be yesterday tomorrow. Yesterday is past; we cannot change that. Tomorrow is not yet here. We cannot yet live in that. Today is all we have as the day to live in.

Philippians 1:7 ESV: It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel.

The dictionary defines being diligent as "characterized by steady, earnest and energetic application and EFFORT" and DILIGENCE as "persevering application." The word "diligence" basically means "speed" or "haste." Philippians 1:7 is similar to Proverbs 4:23: "Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life." Both verses speak of the heart as the center of thought and feeling.

Patience and diligence, like faith, remove mountains. Prefer diligence before idleness. Diligence makes the rough places plain and easy. Jesus said "Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:34

Procrastination is “the act of willfully delaying the doing of something that should be done,” and in some people it is a habitual way of handling any task. We CAN have the faith to activate the power of God through God's GRACE in diligence in our hearts to be proactive in our lives. Faith and Grace are at the foundations of all Christian living, and because faith has to do with the character of God, not on Christian's faith. God gives us, one by one, the gifts and the graces of the Holy Spirit sufficiently.

What you may not be aware is grace is working in your life.

2 Corinthians 9:8 "And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work."

2 Corinthians 12:9
God said: "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."

Romans 5:15 "......how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many!"

Romans 5:17 ".......how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ."

Grace is a wonderful gift that God has given us. I thank God that gives me faith on my behalf which is through GRACE. According to His grace, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit that being justified by His grace I might be made heir according to the hope of eternal life. In God's Grace that I have great spiritual and eternal freedom to grow.

Spiritual training which is forming spiritual fruits. In 2 Peter 1:5-9: make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.

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