Diligent Initiative
Proverbs 6:9-11, Ephesians 5:1-2, 8-16
Captain Moy Hernandez, Jr.
Let me ask you this… are you a wise person? Not a wise crack… although I suspect there is a little bit of that in each of us. But a wise person!
DID YOU KNOW THAT WISE PEOPLE TAKE INITIATIVE?
I mean they just don’t sit and watch, they take action to accomplish what they believe God wants.
Throughout the scriptures there are many biblical principles which are meant to equip us for life – to live our lives to the fullest, to live well.
Wise living is understanding and patterning our lives according to the structure and order that God built into the world. A truly wise person tries to always live according to God’s plan not just for their lives but for His Church. But in order to do this we first must understand what it is required to live wisely.
We enter the road leading to wisdom through the fear of God defined as: Not being frighten, or scared of God (although we should). It is deep and healthy respect for God, and His authority, which, makes us personally loathe sin and love righteousness.
Job 28:28 - ’Respect God. And refuse to do evil things. Then you will be wise.’
Today, I would like for us to look at this idea of wise living from the perspective of taking initiative or as the sermon title suggest taking diligent initiative in our lives.
Someone said there are three types of people in the world: those who do not know what is happening; those who watch what is happening; and those who make things happen.
Wise people make things happen. Wise people take initiative. They see a problem and act on it. They don’t just sit passively and wait for opportunities to come. They prayerfully take actions.
When faced with a problem, or a need, the wise person goes to God, seeks for wisdom, and then takes a piece of paper, and begin to consider his/her options. What should I do Lord? What do you want me to do? And then take action.
You have heard of the saying What Would Jesus DO? I’ve always thought it to be a bit silly, Jesus will do what he will do. I much rather say… What would Jesus HAVE ME do… in wisdom seek out his purpose.
Unfortunately, not many people, followers of Christ, included, do this. This perverted human tendency causes the writer of Proverbs to warn us of laziness.
Instead of taking action, the lazy person does nothing. Instead he or she sits passively, watching, waiting for something to happen.
The Book of Proverbs calls people who live by this philosophy sluggards. A sluggard is an idle or slothful person. I could be wrong but by the spelling it looks like it also refers to some sort of slug!
And we all know that slugs are slimy snail like creature that has no shell. It walks so slowly and without direction. Sluggards then are lazy.
Proverbs 6:9-11 read as followed and I am using the Message Paraphrase.
“So how long are you going to laze around doing nothing? How long before you get out of bed? A nap here, a nap there, a day off here, a day off there, sit back, take it easy – do you know what comes next? Just this: You can look forward to a dirt-poor life, poverty your permanent house guest!”
Dirt-poor life! Poverty your permanent house guest! While the OT may have viewed this warning as referring primarily to material poverty, we are safe to apply this to every area of our lives: mental poverty; physical; social; emotional; spiritual; potentially resulting in unfulfilled lives and unrealized potential.
Laziness causes a lot of damage in people. One proverbs that drives this point with humor is Proverbs 19:24: “Some people are so lazy that they won’t even lift a finger to feed themselves.” (NLT)
This is a humorous exaggeration meant to make us feel the pain as we laugh, because we know this is so true with our lives. The spiritual food is right there in front of him, but the slug has neither the energy nor the motivation to eat it.
But why would people not take action? The lazy person says why? Why take action when you can blame someone else for your problems for your short comings.
It is much easier to sit and complain about the unfairness of life or the overwhelming frustrations of the modern world. Or to sit and not even care?
Why take initiative in solving your problems when we have the fashionable option of blaming our parents, our spouse, our friends, our employer, our teachers, our pastors, our government or even our God for our problems.
Another alternative to taking initiative is to settle into this philosophical dream of some better future that will eventually “just happen” for us.
Underlying many missed opportunities to take action is an unspoken but deeply held belief that goes something like this:
“Somehow, someday, Lord willing, my life will improve. Somehow, someday day what I want will come to pass. Someday, somehow I’ll drift into more satisfying circumstances.
Dreaming for a better day without initiating action for a better day is nothing but a dream. This is akin to what James said as “faith without works.” Which is dead!
But you may think this is meaningless talk on my part but the reality is that for many believers this is exactly how they treat their Christian faith. Oh people will get saved, God will send someone, or that thing that needs doing at my church will get done, that thing the Lord has laid on my heart, the pastor will find someone to do it.
This is not the way God set life. The natural course of life I don’t believe is down and lazy but upward and active! Those who choose to sit back and go with the flow normally end up going downhill.
If we want God’s best, it will require an uphill climb, perseverance on our part. Without doubt that uphill walk is going to require action and initiative, and nobody who has embraced the “somehow, some day” philosophy will ever reach God’s best for their lives.
In other words you have to be intentional in your initiatives for God because the enemy will always try to make things difficult for us!
Taking initiative faces another challenge in our tendency to postpone action for a latter time or procrastination. Every time a person responds to a pressing responsibility with a careless, “I’ll do it later” he or she is acting, like the sluggard, in a lazy way.
We are so acculturated to this mindset that we need a radical change. We need to be delivered from this destructive habit.
Now a final challenge to taking action is making excuses. The lazy person always finds a reason to do nothing.
Proverbs 22: 13: The lazy person is full of excuses, saying, “If I go outside, I might meet a lion in the street and be killed!”
But you know what? “There is a lion outside!” 1 Peter 5:8 we are reminded that our adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
Only a sluggard would sit around for the rest of his or her life because there are dangerous obstacles in his or her way.
The truth is there will always be “lions in the street.” There will always be frightening responsibilities.
There will always be overwhelming challenges. There will always be heartbreaking disappointments.
But only the sluggard will make excuse after excuse in the face of life’s demands.
Think about your own life. Do you make excuses for lack of performance, lack of diligence, lack of discipline, lack of good thing in your faithful service of God?
Look at the fruit of your life now. Are the fruits giving you joy or do they make you sigh in sorrow?
But you might say, not me, never. I am busy as ever. I am not guilty of slothfulness. I am a go get it person. I don’t ever walk. I run.
Several years ago I read a book written by Bill Hybels on leadership where he warns that it is possible for busy people to suffer from a hidden disease of selective sluggardliness – a disease characterized by carefully constructed compartments where slothfulness reigns.
Though little, if left unattended will ultimately bring pain, and heartache, even ruin in our lives.
It’s those who spend more money than they have and say tomorrow they’ll go on budget – but tomorrow never comes.
It’s men and women who fill their time with people but never tend the soil of their own interior lives. They never look deeply at the emotional and psychological realities that drive their behaviors, affect their goals and shape their relationships.
The father who succeeds at work; has a lot of friends, but fails miserably to respond to the emotional needs of his wife and children.
It’s the student who does so well in school but fails to relate well with his family.
It is the Christian that although claims Christ and knows the scriptures back and forth, listens to 24 sermons a day, fails to jump into action to accomplish Gods will of preaching the gospel and reaching suffering humanity.
One reason why selective laziness is so deadly is that if other areas of our lives look good enough we can convince ourselves that we could be excuse from failing to take initiative in some other areas of our lives.
There is a man of God in the Bible. His name is Eli, a well respected, successful priest. He did well in everything except that one area of selective sluggardliness – he would not discipline his sons.
He had two boys who were little rascals, and though he intended to train them in the ways of godliness and integrity, it proved to be a more daunting challenge that he had anticipated. So he gave up.
In time the little rascals, became big rascals. The trouble they eventually caused led to Eli’s downfall.
We must be diligent in our initiatives for God according to the calling He has placed in each of our hearts. We must jump into action when needed and step up to the plate when other simply won’t.
But all hope is not lost in Proverbs 6:6-11 there is a great lesson for us to learn from a little ant. Turn with me to Proverbs 6:6-11 and read along with me.
“Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones. Learn from their ways and be wise! Even though they have no prince, governor, or ruler to make them work, they labor hard all summer, gathering food for the winter. But you, lazybones, how long will you sleep? When will you wake up? I want you to learn this lesson: A little extra sleep, a little more slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest— and poverty will pounce on you like a bandit; scarcity will attack you like an armed robber.” (NLT)
What can we harvest from this lesson as we attend to take initiative in our faithful walk with God?
First, the ant teaches us about the importance of knowing what you want.
Do you know what you want? The ant does. It wants food. It dreams of food. It breathes food. People who do not know what they want are great disadvantaged in life. Napoleon Hill, known inspirational author, says “All great achievements starts with great desire.”
What desires do you have in the work of the Gospel? Do you know what you want to see God do through your service?
To save one more lost souls, to share the good news of the gospel with a homeless person, to go outside of your way every day to make a difference in someone’s life?
Secondly, ants teach about pushing ourselves to get the job done. Ants do not have anyone over them telling them what to do. They just do what they need to do.
This is called self-motivation. The Follower of Christ however does not lack any reason to act. We live and act to glorify God. We get the job done to give glory to God. So why do we seem to not be self motivated?
How are you motivated into action? Do the pastor’s or speaker’s messages light a fire in your hearts that moves you to do the Lords work? Do you move for God out of a sense of obligation or because you long to serve the one who saved your soul?
Finally, ants teach us about thinking ahead. It knows that if it wants provisions through the winter it will have to work hard during the summer.
The ant does not procrastinate. It does not make excuses. It says in its little voice, “Let’s get going. Let’s get to work. Let’s do it now.”
Now any teaching without application is no teaching at all so let us now take a few moments to examine five simple areas of our lives where we need to apply initiative and diligence.
First, we need to take initiative in Building Relationships. Contrary to the world’s value, the Bible says that the greatest legacy we can leave is a legacy of love. Just think of Jesus and what he does for us!
1 Corinthians 13:13: “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” The greatest legacy I can leave mankind is a legacy of love – those thoughts and actions that flow from a heart of love for God and my neighbor.
We all have good intentions, but in the rough and hard tumble of life we tend to hurt and bruise each other. The little wounds to our ego, those hurting words of rejection and condemnation, they all make us want to withdraw.
Keeping peace is difficult because we know it takes time and effort. How easy it would be if all we need is one effort. But we all know that real peace usually requires a lot of concerted effort. But we’re already too busy. We just don’t have time for another one.
Romans 12:18 - If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.
The second area where taking initiative is really needed is hard work. God expects us to work hard. It reflects his character as a hard working God.
Proverbs 12:24 - Work hard and become a leader; be lazy and become a slave.
Proverbs 14:23 - Work brings profit, but mere talk leads to poverty!
Colossians 3:23 - And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men.
Life is not supposed to be easy. Gen 3:19 “By the sweat of your brow will you have food to eat” So work hard at it! God will bless your efforts!
Thirdly, we also need to take initiative in keeping ourselves healthy. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 states “Or don’t you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.”
We have been bought by the blood of Christ.
What is God saying to you about your body? Your health? Sometimes things are out of our control, but those that are not, what are we doing about it? Trinity gives me a hard time about this, but I know she means well, and I am thankful for her concern. And I do try!
Fourth, we need to take initiative in sound handling of Money Matters. God has given us ample instruction about the right use of money. He expects faithfulness in handling money whether we have a little of it, or when we have much of it.
“Unless you are faithful in small matters, you won’t be faithful in large ones. If you cheat even a little, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities. And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven? And if you are not faithful with other people’s money, why should you be trusted with money of your own?” Luke 16:10-12 (NLT)
1 Timothy 6:17-19 - “Tell those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which will soon be gone. But their trust should be in the living God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and should give generously to those in need, always being ready to share with others whatever God has given them. By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may take hold of real life.” (NLT)
Take intentional and diligent imitative in the blessings that God bestows in your life
Finally, we must be the most diligent in taking initiative to keep a vital spiritual life.
As a pastor I have observed a phenomenon that I consider to be the height of all spiritual contradictions. I have seen people who are so diligent in work, with their health, in providing for their family who do nothing to keep themselves spiritually healthy.
They are rusting spiritually. They have lost their spiritual edge.
The writer of Hebrews points this out. In biting sarcasm, the author reprimands believers who have failed to grow from being spiritual babies to spiritually mature people capable of teaching.
He encourages us to do all we can to grow, to work hard in developing healthy and productive spiritual lives.
Hebrews 6:10-12 - “For God is not unfair. He will not forget how hard you have worked for him and how you have shown your love to him by caring for other Christians, as you still do.
Our great desire is that you will keep right on loving others as long as life lasts, in order to make certain that what you hope for will come true.
Then you will not become spiritually dull and indifferent. Instead, you will follow the example of those who are going to inherit God’s promises because of their faith and patience.” (NLT)
The goal for every Follower of Christ is to become “Rich towards God.” Jesus in the Parable of the Rich Fool warns against failing to become rich towards God. So what does it mean to be rich towards God?
I believe to be rich towards God refers to a vibrant, living, personal, deep, and satisfying relationship with Jesus Christ. Not just on Sundays or here and there, but every day and every second of our lives! Where we are free to share his message of hope with others… always!
It must also include being productive and diligent in life. Having been entrusted with resources by God, we invest these and produce fruits for God.
Spiritual riches could also include our personal development. My wife said last week, “what we have is God’s gift to us, what we become is our gift to God.”
Do you sense the Holy Spirit telling you something about an area of your life today– relationships, work, health, church, money or your spiritual life?
Remember that God loves you and when He tells you something that needs to be changed, He does it because He loves you.
Do you feel you’re rusting spiritually? Then come to God today and rededicate your life to the Lord.
One of my favorite passages of scripture is Ephesians 5. Where versus 1 and 2 read:
Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.
But why? Ephesians 5:8-14 gives the answer: For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret.
But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. Therefore He says: “Wake up oh sleeper” Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light.”
Finally verses 15 and 16 read: See then that you walk circumspectly (or watch your steps, use your head, make the most of every opportunity), not as fools but as wise, 16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
I think we tend to get comfortable in our faith as time passes, we tend to get comfortable in our churches and pews and forget that God has given us an ongoing calling to serve.
Will you once again accept God’s challenge this morning and become diligent in your initiatives for God? I hope you do for as the scriptures say, when we do Christ will give us light and he will shine through us!
You see wise people have a sense of what God wants and plan their lives to fulfill that purpose. Wise people have a sense of their God-given destinations and have made plans at arriving there. Wise people take diligent initiative in God will for their lives.
So what do you want for your life? To be diligent in your following of God or to be lukewarm and cast out? Your choice!!! Wont you make the right one now and come join me up here in the altar for prayer?
Lets pray.
