Are You Working Diligently?
Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. (Colossians 3:23–24 ESV)
The blinking cursor on the mostly empty document seemed to stare me down. I wrote a few (terrible) sentences, and then I promptly highlighted and deleted them. Frustrated, I shut my laptop and, deciding I would have better ideas in the morning, called it a night.
The next morning I got up and made my daily to-do list, writing “finish article” in the top spot. Yet after a few quiet minutes with my coffee, I found myself re-organizing kitchen shelves, wiping baseboards, and trying new furniture arrangements instead of sitting down in front of my computer.
I would love to say this decision to purge and declutter my house when a deadline loomed was a one-time occurrence, but I make this decision all too often. I joke that I must have had a deadline if a room layout has changed in my house. The post I should have started a week before goes unwritten until the hours leading up to submission time. I say I take writing seriously, but my actions don’t always say it’s a priority.
Procrastination and distraction are frequent enemies for me. I get caught up reading Instagram posts when I know I should have started our homeschool day ten minutes ago. I yell at my kids to hurry as we rush out the door to activities because I haven’t left enough time in our schedule to prepare for a smooth departure. I step over the same pile of clean laundry for days, and I’m always surprised how quickly the work gets accomplished when I finally sit down to fold it and put it away.
One of the perils of being a stay-at-home-parent, small business owner, and homeschooling mom is the lack of outside factors keeping me accountable in my work. Some people do just fine motivating themselves to keep up with daily tasks and stay on course, but I am not one of those people.
I learned from reading Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin that I’m an “Obliger.” Obligers thrive when they have outside accountability and pressure to get things done. For example, when I run by myself, I rarely cover three miles. When I joined a running group, I was able to complete a full marathon. I crave accountability to be my best self.
A few years ago, I added the Scripture at the top of this page to my email signature, reminding me that my communication is work for the kingdom and to be mindful of how my words make affect others. I see that Scripture several times a day, but recently it reminded me of an important truth: I am accountable to God in all I do.
All my work—whether homemaking, homeschooling, or farming—should be for his glory. When I procrastinate and distract myself from what needs to be done, I waste both precious time and the gifts God has entrusted to me to do his work. When I remember that I’m working for him, it’s much easier to log out of social media or stop amateur attempts at feng shui in my house and get down to the work laid out before me with a cheerful heart.
Today I chose to work for the Lord. I sat in the chair, prayed, and waited for the words to come, no wasting time or finding other activities to pull me away. Will you choose to work diligently for the Lord in all you do? Will you commit your day to his service, no matter how big or small the tasks on your list? When we remember that our work, from the laundry to the board room, has an eternal purpose, we can bring our best.
Lord, thank you for allowing us to partner in your mission in the world. Thank you for giving us meaningful work to fill our days. In our modern times of busyness and distraction, remind us our work has an eternal purpose. Give us the energy to complete necessary tasks with glad hearts. Give us grace on the days we fail to work well. Thank you for your perfect love and sacrifice that give us a thriving life. Amen.
Scripture for Reflection
The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied. (Proverbs 13:4 ESV)
Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. (Galatians 6:9 ESV)
Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands! (Psalm 90:17 ESV)
Do you still need to commit any areas of your life to the Lord? Do you run to distraction when faced with challenging work? How can you be more diligent?
Reach for More
Forming new habits is often done best in a community. Choose one area where you can work on diligence. Post about it on social media, tag @theglorioustable or use the hashtag #tgtreachformore. Let’s encourage one another to work diligently for Christ.
is a small-scale farmer, home educator, chicken chaser, kitchen dancer, and mediocre knitter. Her favorite things include spending time with her family, exploring the natural world, reading, eating spicy food, and singing loudly in the car (to the embarrassment of her children). Lindsay believes sharing our stories will change the world. She writes about farming, homeschooling, faith, mental health, sobriety, and living an unconventional life. You can follow her adventures at peckandpetalfarm.com.
Photograph © Brooke Cagle, used with permission
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