Have you laid in bed, former procrastinators, after a heavy meal and felt uncomfortable? “Oh, I’m stuffed. I shouldn’t have eaten so much.” The need to rest, changing your position, brings home the fact that you took too many bites of that yummy casserole, homemade bread, and gooey dessert. You know you’ll pay tomorrow too. “Ugh. Why did I do this?”
We can do the same thing with our schedules by taking on too many responsibilities. Do we think we’re diligent because we’re busy? They’re not the same. Busy is “engaged in action, full of activity.” (Merriam-Webster) We have “stuff” to do; in fact our schedule is stuffed.
Diligent is “steady, earnest, and energetic effort, persevering application.” The implication is that the effort is concentrated on a particular thing – not scattered, shallow efforts on many things. Can we honestly give steady, persevering attention to many things in a stuffed schedule? How many things can we be faithful to?
The root of priority is “one” or “first.” Exactly how many things can be the first one? This reminds us that our priorities should be a few essentials. We can only be diligent with a few. Focus where your impact counts most. Let your schedule reflect that.
Wife and mom jobs and employment can provide us with enough to do without our adding more. If God prompts adding more, go for it! Be sure it’s the Holy Spirit and not the committee chair or a guilty conscience that prods you to say yes. Then move out in courage on the essential few He has given you. There you can be diligent.
Are your days “stuffed”? Can you find the few essentials you want to be diligent to do this week? This school year?
Thank you, Beth! When you spoke about the meaning of Priority as First, you reminded me of a sermon that we once had that included a talk about the “First Cause”, which is God according to Thomas Aquinas…
Now that would truly be the root of the word, Linda! Makes me think…