It Begins With Diligence

I'm sure by now you've heard of the "One Word" idea from oneword365.com. Instead of worrying about resolutions, you come up with one word just for you to focus on for the year. I love the idea!

Last year I tried to come up with a word and used 3 {because I'm rebellious} instead ~ Create, Commit, Complete. A nice idea, but let me just say - don't use 3 words. Just don't. Stick to 1. :)

As I was thinking of a word for this year, I couldn't quite come up with the right one. I knew the general idea of what I wanted and kept looking up synonyms to see if something jumped out as *the* word. But when I went to church on Sunday - there it was. God put it right in front of my face in Scriptures that I read to myself while they were read out loud. I found my word in The Word. :)

These are the verses I was reading:

2 Peter 1:5-7
But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. {emphasis added by me}

See how it begins with diligence? Much to my dismay, it does not begin with daydreaming on the couch or with checking Facebook for the 20th time just to see if somebody liked a status.

According to the Noah Webster 1828 American Dictionary of the English Language {an awesome dictionary used by son's Christian school}, Diligence means: 

1. Steady application in business of any kind; constant effort to accomplish what is undertaken; exertion of body or mind without unnecessary delay or sloth; due attention; industry; assiduity. 2. Care; heed; heedfulness.

I highlighted a few words that jumped out at me. This is exactly what I need. But don't mistake this word for busyness. You can be totally busy and not be diligent - trust me on that one. :)

Here's another good verse from the Bible using the word diligence {it appears in several verses}:

Proverbs 4:23
Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life. {emphasis added by me}

Good stuff, this diligence. I'll be praying that the Lord will help me with this one, because my natural tendency is to only be diligent in some things some of the time.

Do you have a One Word focus for the year? I'd love to hear what it is! But if you don't have one - it's really OK. It's not a law or anything. :)

If you do have your One Word - you can get a beautiful button for it just like I did! Melanie from Only A Breath is making them FREE just to bless us all! See this post for how to get your own button. And let me say, I met Melanie at the Allume conference in October and she is just as sweet as she seems online. Also, I will love her forever because she said that I didn't look old enough to have a teenage son. :D

Not only is Melanie making buttons, but she's also having a linkup at her blog for anybody with a post about their One Word. I'm linking this post up! She'll have 1 linkup each month so you can share how you're doing with it!

Whatever way you choose to get organized or refocus in the new year, I hope you all have a very blessed 2013! Thanks for being a part of my blog!

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Have a blessed day friends!