Guard

Why is diligence difficult?

According to Proverbs, diligence to a plan stems from the heart. In my experience, I find that the tasks that are most meaningful, that have the greatest long term outcome to me, are also the tasks that require the most day to day diligence. These are items such as prayer, reading Scripture, having deep reflective conversations with my family, and focusing on faith in my business. Seeing that diligence comes from the heart and requires persistence, it strikes me that many distractions of the world interrupt the heart from the head and can take us away from our daily diligent activities.

What does diligence mean at its core? Simply defined it is “careful and persistent work or effort”. Examining this closer, it is interesting that the word “careful” is used. The thought comes to mind that, when we are being “careful” in our actions, we are building in a hedge of protection. In the context of this verse, it seems that what we should be most guarded against is something deeper than any surface-level defense system could protect us from.

This proverb indicates that the item at highest risk is our heart. So, let’s ask the next question: what are our hearts being guarded from? A chord of truth resonates in this verse that may rock you on your heels - the thing we must guard our hearts from most (and put extreme diligence in doing it) is our own self. God’s Word tells us, “for everything you do flows from it”, which indicates to me that if we are performing actions that are counter to God’s will, then we have allowed distractions to take over our hearts.

As the verse alludes to, our hearts drive our actions. If there is no alignment to what God has desired for our journey, we will find ourselves running on the treadmill of life, chasing what will make us “happy”; and at the end of the day, we will be left feeling empty and lost. Reflecting further, we may find that the true enemy we must be diligent in guarding our hearts against is the nemesis of pride.

1 John 2:16 tells us that the pride of life is one of the tools of the evil one. As we look around, it is not hard to see that he is using that tool effectively. It seems as if the world has transitioned to promote self over others at all costs, and glorifying the person in the mirror is coveted well above serving others. Prideful actions and selfish decisions begin the moment we decide that our ways are more important than anything from God; thus, we adopt an “I got this” mentality.

The prioritization of guarding our hearts must be held at the highest regard. Recognizing this is a necessary first step in being a diligent leader. Guarding our hearts begins by spending time in God’s Word, talking to Him regularly in prayer, and surrounding ourselves with fellow brothers and sisters in Christ who will speak Truth to us on a regular basis. Next, we will examine how we can successfully begin to plan with diligence.

Questions to Consider

1. How do you personally interpret the concept of "guarding your heart," and what intentional steps do you take in your daily life to protect your heart from influences that may lead you away from God's desires?
2. In what practical ways do you prioritize spending time in God's Word, engaging in prayer, and fostering connections with fellow believers to build a hedge of protection around your heart?