sermon on hard work and diligence

Treat your work (house cleaning, school work, or whatever it is) as though you will reap a harvest from your labors. First, note that in our text, 'giving all diligence, add to your faith.' Diligence is engaging the mind for productivity (Proverbs 21:5) 3. When haste degenerates into hurry, and becomes agitation, it is weakness, not strength; it turns out superficial work, which has usually to be pulled to pieces and done over again, and it is sure to be followed by reaction of languid idleness. Proverbs 4:20-27. Eventually, you, Build Up a Defense Do Not Trust in Riches. It says, Take a short cut. Lazy people genuinely feel tired! The field to be cultivated is too wide and the possible harvest for the toiler too abundant, and the certain crop of weeds in the sluggard's garden too poisonous, to allow dawdling to be considered a venial fault. There may be no wind at your back. The more you sleep, the harder it will be to wake up from this way of life. No man or woman, old or young, white or black can make it, succeed or prevail in whatsoever by diligence, strength or hard work alone (1Sam 2:7-9). It is the way of no plans, no forethought, no enthusiasm, no diligence. In Scripture diligence is highly commended. Be not desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitful meat (Proverbs 23:13). He was now 66 years old, the time when most men retire. If you must be driven to work, then something is seriously wrong. gazed at Whistler's portrait of his mother. We live in a madcap world that work the whole night and sleep the whole day with no time for self or family. It is the word with which the Apostle, left solitary in his prison, besought his sole trusty companion Timothy to 'make haste so as to come to him before winter.' The cross is We live in a madcap world that work the whole night and sleep the whole day with no time for 'Giving all diligence, add to your faith ' -- 2 Peter i.5. It is just a game to him. The night cometh when no man can work.' Hence we gather that no Christian growth is possible unless a man gives his mind to it. For example, consider your choice of major in school, or sought position in employment: Many people advocate a job that makes you happy. Do it. As mentioned, the beginning or end of an important task can be the most difficult. [Proverbs 3:9-10; 10:2; 11:18; 15:27; 16:8; 20:14; 28:8, 20], 7. 2. Industry, thoroughness, attentiveness. Certain tasks must be accomplished first. I am calling on you not to let life pass you by. Many of you have Hard work is a persistent effort towards a cause Luke 18:1-5. This epistle was used to bolster those individuals with flagging faith. You will rise until you serve before kings. read more, Scripture: On the front, Jesus prayed for fruit, in the middle, He bore fruit afterwards he thanked God for fruit so work as if you were to live a hundred years, pray as if you were to die tomorrow. It is funny how we think God should work. One month of self-control will not help us become all we can be in this life. Dont work so much, however, that you need to re-introduce yourself to your family. Remember how it turned out last time you endured. GDPR is the new European privacy regulation, which will replace the Data Protection Act 1998 in the UK and the equivalent legislation across the EU Member States. He decided that at the age of retirement he was going to go the hard way and every one of those restaurants is a testimony to the fact that when you take the easy way, it turns out hard but when you take the hard way of hard work and diligence, it always ultimately turns out to be the only easy way there it. We drove through that little town, looking for a fast food place. Noah provides an example of work ethic by laboring to complete the construction of a massive ark (. Give careful attention to your herds. Have you ever wondered if God made the perfect person for you? Cascades Fellowship CRC, JX MI Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled (Hebrews 12:15). A wife and mother must work extremely hard. The Old Testament says, 'Seest thou a man diligent in his business, he shall stand before kings.' We seem to see Peter, not much accustomed to wield a pen, sitting down to what he felt a somewhat difficult task, and pointing the readers to his own example as an instance of the temper which they must cherish if they are to make anything of their Christian life. a. [Proverbs 6:6-11; 24:30-34]. Well come to the other later. I am not talking about the number of hours that you work. Always be faithful on your duty post until the job is done. Have you ever felt like complaining against the LORD? The Christian walk is not easy, it is not a stroll through the park, it is something that takes a lot of work on our part. Proverbs 13:4 says, "The soul of the sluggard desireth and hath nothing, but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat. 'On this very account' -- because He has given so much -- we are to lay 'all diligence' by the side of His gifts, which are useless to the sluggard. Beaverton, Oregon 97005 Rather, find satisfaction in simply doing good work for God and men. Nehemiah 4:16-23, when we serve God with all our heart through serving the Man of God we selflessly help to push the Kingdom Agenda, May the peace of the Lord be with you. the account of Joseph in Genesis 39). I am going to tell you one of my favorite stories this morning because it illustrates perfectly how many of us think about the relationship between what we do and what God does. Since the UK is now no longer a member of the EU, you may be charged an import tax on this item by the customs authorities in your country of residence, which is beyond our control. These simple commands elevate ones work to the status of moral obligation to our fellow man and the Lord. 'If that servant begin to say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and to be slothful, and to eat and drink with the drunken, the lord of that servant will come in an hour when he is not aware.' Would you work an extra shift for 18 months, just so people could not say something bad about you, possibly injuring your credibility as a Christian, just so you could be more effective in reaching the lost? That is a warning to those of us who make our living speaking. Such shortsighted advice has led many a student or young worker down a dead-end path, where they have zero chance of obtaining a job that is profitable, sustainable, or related to their choice of major. A husband and father must work extremely hard. Now as to the homely virtue itself, 'giving all diligence.'. I am impressed and amazed with how much Gods Word has to say about it. read more, Scripture: Romans 12:8, Denomination: Discuss with your family how you can hold one another accountable to be diligent workers for God and men. 1. Get up early. It is a sign of increasing godliness. You shall not consent to him or listen to him, Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God. I have often found myself mentally hitting the wall so to speak, being at the point I pondered just giving up, thinking I was at the breaking point. Ephesians 6:1-9, Denomination: This is an important verse for children and young adults, because we are told over and over again that it is not what you know, its who you know. The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness (Proverbs 21:5). There is not much work out there. Proverbs 6:6-8, Proverbs 6:9-11. All that galaxy of light and beauty will shine forth on the one condition of diligence, and it will not appear without that. If youre lazily collecting a paycheck, thats stealing. Full Diligence No Creeping Sluggishness, We may be very diligent in some aspects or applications of our religion and yet be sluggish in other points. [Proverbs 1:8; 2:1-2; 3:1-2; 4:1-2, 10-11, 20; 5:1-2; 6:20; 7:1-3; 8:32-36; 22:17-21; 23:15-25], 20. Consider how much more would be accomplished for the kingdom of Christ if you worked as hard in ministry as you do for a paycheck. Man is to seek God and His wisdom diligently: We are to study the Scriptures with great diligence: 2 Timothy 2:15, Elders are to rule diligently: 1 Timothy 5:12, We are to diligently strive for heaven: Hebrews 4:11; 6:11. However, not only is our reputation evidenced by our diligence in labor, so is our Gods reputation! read more, Scripture: LIVING DILIGENT FAITH - 2 PETER 1:1-11 Proverbs 13:4. Nehemiah 4:16-23 The lambs will provide you will clothing and goats with the price of a field. 'To-morrow and to-morrow' is the opiate with which sluggards and cowards set conscience asleep, and as each to-morrow becomes to-day it proves as empty of effort as its predecessors, and, when it has become yesterday, it adds one more to the solemn company of wasted opportunities which wait for a man at the bar of God. Apply the Gift of Righteousness We stopped in a little town called Corbin, Kentucky. The easy way is the way of saying the boss isnt around, nobody is seeing me, it is good enough for government work. Diligence is being good at your business (Proverbs 22:29) 4. There is some truth to that. If we become the people God wants us to be, then He will direct us in the path He wants us to take. Finish your outdoor work and get your fields ready. 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12, Denomination: And the hard road looks hard but once you do the hard thing in life, it turns out to be the easy thing. 1. Please contact our webmaster for questions or comments concerning this Web site. Pull some strings. But God promises our labor to not be vain in the Lord. Dedicate Receive the gift of righteousness When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee: and put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite. Want to make the congregation grow? You will have plenty of goats milk to feed you and your family and to nourish your servant girls. Proverbs 27:25-27. Our salvation is based on grace, not works, If your girlfriend or fianc is slow to help her parents, ambivalent towards her schooling, sluggish in her work, always complaining, or slothful in spiritual labors, DO NOT marry that woman, because she is no woman. Registered User It is a homely virtue, but if in its homeliness we practised it, this Church and our own souls would wear a different face from what it and they do to-day. He may have to repudiate every respectable challenge presented by every learned, trained, and experienced sage, but their collective wisdom will have to be sacrificed to maintain his excuse. read more, Scripture: Michael K. Farrar, O.D. Quackery always deals in mysteries and rare things. Expositions Of Holy Scripture Ephesians Peter. Hurray! [Proverbs 16:26; 19:14; 21:5; 26:15], 11. Lazy people can be so slothful that they do not even have the energy to pick up their hand, even after it drops into a bowl of food provided for them, even if it is for their own survival and nourishment. Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons sons (Deuteronomy 4:9). Diligence is the virtue of hard work, and is indicative of a belief that work in itself is good. Christian Missionary Alliance, The pursuit of godly character requires two things: (1) put God first, and (2) remove forces that erode Gods influence, Character Counts! Cut some corners. It is called The Hard Way. It is comparatively easy to prosper by trickery, the violation of confidence, oppression of the weak, sharp practices, cutting corners, all those methods we are so prone to pileate and condone as business shrewdness. However, those who learn to work their way through the thorns and briars of this life will be better trained and prepared by their heavenly Father to overcome the difficulties of developing a spiritual life and growing into a mature Christian (. The whole world is focused upon this case anxiously awaiting the outcome. The Apostle uses a very remarkable expression here, which is rendered in our Bible imperfectly 'giving all diligence.' 'Raw haste' is 'half sister to delay.' A work ethic is a set of moral values or principles for determining what is right and wrong in our work. The easy road takes you down to the bottom. We learned that wisdom is God given not manmade but foolishness is manmade not God given. Schedule it. Trust God to overcome any bad habits youve developed regarding work and diligence.d. read more, Scripture: Another of the phases of the virtue, which Peter here regards as sovereign, is represented in our translation of the word by 'earnestness,' which is the parent of diligence. The hero that we are going to look at today is a man named Nehemiah. II. Peter's first letter shows that he believed that Christians were 'chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father.' [Proverbs 14:23; 20:17; 22:16; 30:8-9], 8. Here are some practical steps you can take: [Proverbs 12:24, 27; 31:27]. Noah may have worked up to 120 years constructing the ark! The easy road is deceptive. Inevitably, the lazy man will have to borrow to provide what he needs or wants. Still further, one of the other writers of the New Testament gives us another field in which this virtue may expatiate, when the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews exhorts to diligence, in order to attain 'the full assurance of hope.' What is it that you know you need to do this week that is undone in your life? If you fail to persuade someone of their laziness, then recognize the signs, back away carefully, and move on (, Some of the lazy mans excuses may be legitimate, in that they represent true or probable difficulties. The hand of the diligent shall bear rule: but the slothful shall be under tribute (Proverbs 12:24). Noah would have been reduced to using much simpler technology (no power tools maybe no metal tools). There is always the possibility that tomorrow may offer a better opportunity than today. I have been doing this in Waynesboro for the last 3.5 years. Copyright 2021, Institute in Basic Life Principles ~ Privacy Policy~ Terms and Conditions~Log In. Accept the fact that while work is supposed to be work, yet inside this work resides numerous opportunities of which I would not otherwise be able to utilize. Be the best prisoner you can be! If there is a setback, or something in any given project does not cooperate with you, understand that you are learning important skills, trouble-shooting is probably one of the most important things a Christian can learnbecause much is life is all about trouble-shooting the problems caused by sincoming up with solutions and preventing future trouble. May our observable work ethic open doors unto Bible study and conversion rather than close them. Hard work yesterday has to be followed up with hard work today to guarantee tomorrows prosperity. II. Far more important, diligence is a quality valued by our Creator Himself, and is one that can, when combined with the other virtues, prepare us to for eternity. She is still an immature girl! Rest and relaxation are good. The most critical realm to exercise our work ethic is that of the spiritual. The rest is excuses. We must gather ourselves together under the impulse of an all-pervading and noble earnestness, too deep to be demonstrative, and which does not waste itself in noise, but settles down steadily to work. It is the word employed to describe the murderous hurry with which Herodias came rushing in to the king to demand John the Baptist's head. The slothful man roasteth not that which he took in hunting: but the substance of a diligent man is precious (Proverbs 12:27). We are also called to honor and obey our heavenly Father-this is the highest obedience. Poverty is the portion of the person who can work but is not willing to do so. Our application has focused primarily on physical labor. Why do I fail to overcome destructive habits? Sloth - Sunday Morning. Purpose: What do I want to happen in the hearer when I preach this sermon? read more, Scripture: If he was going to survive, he had to do something else. Deliverance from this present evil age. A wise servant will rule over a disgraceful son and will share the inheritance as one of the brothers. Proverbs 17:2. You will have time later. God, Prayer and hard work It is a great thing to be convinced of this, that there are no mysteries about the conditions of healthy Christian living, but that precisely the same qualities which lead to victory in any career to which a man sets himself do so in this; that, on the one hand, we shall never fail if in earnest and saving the crumbs of moments, we give ourselves to the work of Christian growth; and that on the other hand, no fine emotions, no select moments of rapture and communion will ever avail to take the place of the dogged perseverance and prosaic hard work which wins in all other fields; and wins, and is the only thing that does win, in this one too. It does not fail (, Self-Initiative Do Not Wait to be Coerced. listen: description: (hide) If we have felt lethargic or indifferent about our calling, we have a desperate need to keep our heart with all diligence, to be strong in the Lord by donning the full armor of God, following the example of the Captain of our salvation. b. Allowed HTML tags: