How Diligent Are We, Really?

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How Diligent Are We, Really?

Proverbs 12:24

September 21, 2024

“The hand of the diligent will rule, but the slothful will be put to forced labor.”

— Proverbs 12:24

The Scriptures teach that we should be diligent in all areas of our lives. You know we say that it’s wonderful that certain people have certain gifts and they can play, they can sing, or they can paint or do whatever it is. Yet it is because these people have been diligent, whereas we have been slothful. While we have been just lazy and relaxing, they were applying themselves to improve the talents and gifts that God has given them.

Isn’t it wonderful there are some people who are tremendously effective soul winners in personal evangelism? Well, they have been working at it. Isn’t it great that there are people who are great apologists for Christ and can take on the skeptic and deal with him at his level? But it didn’t just “happen” that way.

The same is true in the spiritual world. I am sure that it would impugn the very character of the kingdom of God to suppose that the tender plant of God’s grace can flourish in the garden of a sluggard. God calls us to diligence. May we be so in our study of the Word of God, in our prayer, in our determination to try to improve in the various qualities and characteristics of our lives.

We should pray He blesses us with more diligence. In all things, it is by His grace. But in all of these things by His grace, He gives us certain abilities and certain gifts and then He expects us to exercise them diligently.

Lord, give me strength for today to be more diligent in life, using my gifts and talents for Your honor and glory. I ask Your forgiveness for any laziness on my part…

BY HIS STRENGTH, WE CAN USE OUR GIFTS AND DEVELOP OUR TALENTS.

Christ and Humility

September 30, 2024

“Let nothing be done out of strife or conceit, but in humility let each esteem the other better than himself.” — Philippians 2:3 When Paul wrote the church in the Roman outpost of Philippi (in modern day Turkey), there were positive things for which he commended them. But Paul realized that the only flaw that he saw in the Philippian church was a tendency to divisiveness, a tendency which ultimately was going to be destructive to that church. But he did his best to point out to them the danger, the rocks that lay submerged in the path of the ecclesiastical ship at Philippi. In order for them to be of one mind and one accord they had to acquire humility. He wrote to them, “Let each of you look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Let this mind be in you all, which was also in Christ Jesus…” (Philippians 2:4-5). Jesus humbled Himself by becoming a man. The Second Person of the Trinity took on human flesh. So, He was fully God and fully man. Then He humbled Himself in complete obedience, living a perfect life. Finally, He humbled Himself by dying on the cross. This was a degrading form of execution reserved only for slaves and non-Roman citizens. But God raised Him from the dead and vindicated Him completely. One day every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that He is Lord. Humility comes before honor. Christ has shown us the way. Lord, You who humbled Yourself so completely and received the name above all names, help me to have a true picture of You and, thus, a true picture of myself, resulting in humility… BY GOD’S STRENGTH AND BY HIS LIGHT, WE CAN SEE OURSELVES CLEARLY.

The Necessity of Humility

September 29, 2024

“The meek will He guide in judgment, and the meek He will teach His way.” — Psalm 25:9 Among the pagans, humility was not a virtue, it was a vice. I think of a man who described himself as a complete pagan. He scorned humility and all Christian virtues as being beneath the dignity of the pagan mind. His name was Adolf Hitler. I remember one time debating a modern humanist atheist on a radio show, and someone called and asked what they should do to become a Christian. I said, “First you need to get down on your knees and repent of your sins and accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of your life.” Well, the host interrupted and said, “No, you should stand on your feet, be proud.” Well, that’s the humanist motto, “Be proud.” You know it is hard when you’re pretending to be a god to be humble, and that’s of course what humanists believe that they are. Lowliness of mind and humility, those are two virtues that are not seen very often. I recall reading about two men who were arguing, and finally one of them despairing of ever changing the mind of the other said, “I can see that I am going to do nothing today to change your mind, but I would prayerfully ask you to prayerfully consider if there might just be a possibility that you could be wrong.” A constant theme of the Bible is that God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Paul asks a great question that helps encourage humility: “What do you have that you did not receive?” (1 Corinthians 4:7). O Lord God Almighty, You are so high and lifted up and yet You dwell with the humble of heart. As I walk with You, please develop in me a true humility that only You can bring. BY GOD’S STRENGTH, WE CAN ACQUIRE TRUE HUMILITY.

God’s Part, Man’s Part

September 28, 2024

“Nor do I count my life of value to myself, so that I may joyfully finish my course and the ministry which I have received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the Gospel of the grace of God.” — Acts 20:24 Some people think of trusting in God as if they don’t need to do anything else—just sit back on their lazy chair, watch TV or read a book, while God does all the work. Instead, we should take that guarantee of God, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13 NKJV), and trust in Him. Let me point out to you, that doesn’t mean that you just rest and wait for God to drop all of these blessings down the chimney. It means that you work harder. Look at the Apostle Paul as an example. He was an indefatigable worker, and he never stopped. God used Paul in absolutely great ways because he was so committed to the task at hand. He was a tentmaker, and he refused gifts from many churches because he didn’t want to be a burden to them. But he was most concerned about the kingdom of God and the glory of Christ and the salvation of men and women. Where do those things rank in your list of priorities? Only you and God know. Taking God at His guarantee involves taking Him as Lord and Savior and Master. This is the One who died in agony for your sins, the One who loves you eternally and infinitely, the One who has redeemed you, the One who adopted you into His family and made you His heir. This is the One, Jesus Christ. Let Him use you for His glory and others’ good. Lord, forgive me for my spiritual laziness. Give me strength for today to serve You diligently. Thank You that in Christ we can do all things You set before us… BY GOD’S STRENGTH, WE CAN BE USEFUL TO GOD’S KINGDOM.