Wednesday, March 6

As I look over all your comments something comes to mind. It seems it is hardest to be diligent in areas that involve walking in the spirit. We can be diligent with the work we are paid to do, diligent in following our hobbies or sports teams, diligent even with our money (some of us, anyway) – all things that give fleshly satisfaction or prevent pain/discomfort in our flesh. Why is it that the spiritual things take so much more work? In Romans 7 Paul wrestled with this fact:

For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. ¹⁹ For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. 

In meditating on this, I began to think about the difference between the demands of the flesh and of our spirit. Our flesh is loud. "I'm hungry NOW. I want to feel good NOW. I DESERVE this. I want to spend my time THIS way – it's more fun. This crisis demands my attention NOW. I'm too tired."  Our spirits are not so demanding. They, like the small voice Elijah heard on the mountain when God came to him, call quietly. True, if we don't listen we will feel a void or longing; but our flesh is quick to find other ways to try to fill that void or longing with something quicker than study, more exciting than prayer, easier than service.

God knows this. Why else would he need to warn and encourage us to remain diligent? The battle, as Roger likes to say, is in our minds. We get to decide who wins. That's a good thing! - and a hard thing. That means there is no excuse. We have to choose to be diligent.

I also have experienced that when I am regularly feeding my spirit, its voice becomes louder. It actually begins to compete with my flesh. Sometimes it even creates a spiritual crisis which is an opportunity to grow. And of course my flesh finds this very uncomfortable.

So far we have defined diligence and looked at things that get in the way of it. Today your assignment is to go back to your verses from day one and give some examples of how to be diligent in the area specified. I didn't specifically choose a passage to share on day one, but I did mention Hebrews 6:11 so I'll do that one. For me, a practical way of making sure I remain diligent in caring for the needs of the saints is to actually make a prayer list of needs and pray for opportunity to help. As I type this I realize I don't currently have one so that will be my challenge to myself before I post again. Making the list makes me do a couple of things I don't naturally do: actually look for and remember others' needs, and then look for a way to help out. I do tend to get weary sometimes, but the second part – praying for opportunity – reminds me that I can do what is needed if I use God's strength instead of trying to do it myself.

I'm looking forward to reading your practical ways to keep yourself diligent. Be specific – if you need to study more, tell us what your plan is to help you make sure that happens. Meanwhile, I'll be making my list...