Diligence vs. Slothfulness *Investing my time and energy to complete each task assigned to me.

Webster’s dictionary: Diligence - Perseveringly attentive, industrious.

This person that is diligent will be a winner all the time. They put their thought and time and energy into what they believe they have been called to do in life. Their success is not necessarily in the fact that they have achieved their goal, but in the fact that they have the diligence to keep going with a positive attitude. Diligence is a very strong character quality that most people in the business world and in the faith community are looking for.

The Character A person with this character quality has the ability to work very hard at what he does best, but is not attached to the results or the outcome. Thus, he doesn’t quit when things don’t go his way. He may get tired, but he knows the difference between tired and lazy.

Slothfulness? * An overwhelming love for a physical calm. * Slow moving and even lazy.

Slothfulness A good example would be a man that moved so slow that his self-winding watch stopped. These people will treat life like a slot machine; they will put in very little and expect to hit the jackpot. This character quality is raging across America today: work little, expect much.

Look carefully A man that is slothful may even feel that he is just being patient, but others see the difference.This person is too lazy to wash Their window so they can see the world with a clearer view.

Who is this person? A slothful person will want the credit for what others have done. These make up a population of millions of people who aren’t working, yet they do have a job. Lots of people have a job, but how many work? It’s what you do when you have nothing to Do that determines who you are. A slothful man is the man that will say he can’t live on the wages that he just turned down. Thus, he has no wage.

Some of the characteristics of a slothful person will be the following. Check any boxes that are likely to apply to you. S- Slow to accomplish. L- Lazy in his ways. O- Others don’t want to work with him. T- Tired most of the time. H- Helpful only when it benefits himself. F- Fails at most long term tasks. U- Unemployment can be a way of life. L- Leisure can be what they live for.

Break out into groups and discuss how this character flaw has affected you. In your: *personal life: _________________________ *home:_______________________________ *work: _______________________________ *other: _______________________________

What is the answer to slothfulness? How can I make a difference? Helen Keller once said, “We can do anything we want as long as we stick to it long enough.” Diligence is small baby steps in the right direction consistently. Charles Spurgeon once said, “It was by perseverance and diligence that the snail reached the ark.”

Diligence = progress Some things seem so far out of reach, a pay raise, a nice home, a good spouse, and even heaven. One step at a time will get you there. There is nothing so fatal to your character and self esteem as half-finished tasks. Thus, diligence will build self-esteem and a future.

Example During World War II, the Royal Air force psychologists observed that the pilots made the most errors when returning to the base from hazardous raids. The cause, said the analysts, was an “almost irresistible tendency to relax.” You are not done with your mission until you have fully landed and stopped and filled out your report. The ultimate source of a manager’s ability to stay the course must be self-discipline. Only then can he share the boast of genius like Louis Pasteur: “My greatest strength lies solely in my tenacity.” Diligence.

The answer to slothfulness is diligence. If slothfulness is a concern in your life, these steps will help you to be more diligent: 1-See yourself as slothful. Be honest with yourself over your tendency to be lazy. 2-Ask for help. Be honest with others on your tendency to be lazy.

Next step 3-Make a long-term goal of what you would like to achieve. (write it down) 4-Make a short-term goal that you can achieve by the end of the day that would be leading to your main goal.

More steps 5-Ask someone to hold you accountable on what you need to do. (This somebody should be someone that has the authority to do so.) 6-Find people around you that can help you achieve your goal (people that are talented in these areas). Reward them for their diligence.

Last step 7-Always stay positive, and keep your people positive. Help them to understand your vision, your goal, and that you have their best interests at heart.

Diligence Stand tall, be strong, Do all you can to be free. Work hard, love hard, Be what God wants you to be. Set your heart on the goal, let your vision be sure, Put your feet to the task, let your motives be pure. You might fail once, twice or three or more, But when you hit the wall, always take the door. Your character may take a hit, the damage may seem grand, But character when put to test, will always help you stand. When life’s at end and the fight is done, and you have one last say, “Be diligent to do your best, in Jesus name I pray.” Tim D Remington