DAY 50 IN THE 91-DAY NEW HABIT CHALLENGE! #ProverbsChallenge



Proverbs 19--I used to have a real problem with follow-through. Pretty regularly a project I began would soon gather cobwebs and never be completed. It was embarrassing.

Projects began with great enthusiasm and fanfare. "Yes, folks! Watch as I amaze you!" Then, the first snag caused me to lose momentum. Another challenge and I'd give up.


Over the years, I could fill a warehouse with the unrealized ideas, projects, and dreams.

How did I overcome this--or rather, how am I working to overcome the slacker blues?

Work. Boring, I know, but it's just plain work. It's not just about enthusiasm. Enthusiasm dissolves quickly, so it can't be my motivator. The job completed is the motivator.

So, I have to settle in my mind that it will be work. The brilliant idea? It takes work. Cleaning out the garage? It takes work.

As best I can, I try to consider the cost of an idea. Financial, time, emotions, the resources needed, and then, I double those estimates.

Life throws all sorts of obstacles in the way. Even the best of plans and preparation can be stalled by unforeseen circumstances. It doesn't always happens, but when it does, I lift that tired hand and bring the "next mouthful" and keep doing it until the "bowl" is empty.

At least, I try. Don't always succeed, but I'm learning from my mistakes and try to do better next time.

May we finish our bowl, my friends.

Proverbs 19:24--The slacker buries his hand in a bowl and will not even bring it back to his mouth! Tree of Life Bible Society Tree of Life Version - TLV
#tlvbible #tlvproverbs

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

WISDOM'S JOURNEY: Are you being diverted? Proverbs 4:27

Image
Are you being diverted? TODAY'S PROVERB: Do not turn to the right or to the left. Divert your foot from evil. Proverbs 4:27 I love flying at night. It's a vivid perspective of just how small we really are. Looking at the expanse of the sky with its stars is peaceful, stable. Gazing below at the man-made lights that glow with seemingly brighter intensity. But, that glow is temperamental. Subject to the frailties of humanity and technology, and believe it or not, dependent upon the grace of God. This verse reminds me that until we rise above our humanity, we'll be diverted from the bigness of the Creator of the Universe. It seems our world offers a plethora of distractions. They don't have to be evil, they simply have to be distractions that lead to diverting us from God's calling and purpose in our life. Like the bright city lights, they can drown out the still, small pinpricks of true light from the stars. Until we rise above. What are some of the distract...
Read more

WISDOM'S JOURNEY: Are you a voice for God's covenant? Proverbs 2:16-17

Image
Are you a voice for God's covenant? TODAY'S PROVERB: ...to deliver you from a seducing woman—a wayward wife with seductive words, who forsakes the partner of her youth and forgets the covenant of her God. Proverbs 2:16-17 Infidelity. The last few generations tend to think infidelity was something they created. For certain they have developed it into an art form using film, music, literature, and now, social media. Throughout Scrip ture and history, women have played as much of a role in this sin as men. Honestly, as women, we should know better. These days, women tend to look at fornication and adultery as their rights -- their choice. We can justify and defend all we want, but the truth is that it all boils down to this: our choice is whether we sin or don't sin. Not a popular thing to say. There's nothing new under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9). Humanity has been sinning since the Garden. And infidelity has the same patterns and outcomes as it did thousands of y...
Read more

WISDOM'S JOURNEY: Are you lame or reliable? Proverbs 25:19

Image
Are you lame or reliable? TODAY'S PROVERB: Like a broken tooth or a lame foot is confidence in the unfaithful in time of trouble. Proverbs 25:19 I have a "trick" ankle. There appears to be no rhyme or reason when it decides to give out. I'll take a step and it's like the bones turn to rubber. A misstep on stairs or a ladder or while carrying something can be treacherous. If I knew what caused the weakness then I could avoid  placing demands on it. But, alas, I don't know, so I can never fully trust it. Today's proverb counsels us about "trick ankle" people. Do you have people like this in your life? For the most part, they are reliable, but at unpredictable -- and inevitably important moments -- they are not reliable. Even when we forgive them for these events, we're still unsure if we can depend on them. It leaves a small residue on our ability to trust them completely -- at least for a season. My ankle is a vivid reminder of the import...
Read more