Inch By Inch

I walked by the field of a lazy person,the vineyard of one with no common sense.I saw that it was overgrown with nettles.It was covered with weeds,and its walls were broken down.Then, as I looked and thought about it,I learned this lesson:A little extra sleep, a little more slumber,a little folding of the hands to rest—then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit;scarcity will attack you like an armed robber.

Proverbs 24:30-34

It’s interesting that in Solomon’s day, just like ours, it’s easy to spot a lazy man’s or woman’s house. It’s neglected. This has nothing to do with the age or price range of the house. I have seen tiny, older homes that are charming and inviting simply because it’s obvious someone who cares lives there.

So since our proverb describes the shabby result of neglect, let’s look at how we can be diligent. Diligence is merely careful, steady effort.

When I was a young wife I heard the principle “inch by inch, anything’s a cinch.” I was putting off many things like planting flowers, organizing closets, or touching up paint because as a busy mom, I did not have big blocks of time to work on projects. Then I learned I could set a small goal to do just one thing each day. I actually wrote out a schedule: Monday, clean out one kitchen drawer while calling a friend. Tuesday, do two loads of laundry. Wednesday, spend fifteen minutes pulling out weeds. One of the great joys of making a list is checking things off.

“Inch by inch, anything’s a cinch.”

Make It Personal . . . Live It Out!

Would you like to be more diligent? A schedule, a list, and bundling—multitasking—are good tools. Get out your calendar to map out your week. List three half-hour tasks, then look for three thirty-minute blocks of time that are available. Post a note on the fridge stating your three goals and when you’ll do them. As you do each task, purposely do something else like listening to a Bible study CD or praise music, or calling a friend to catch up. The time will fly by, you’ll get a lot done, and you’ll have fun in the process.

One Year Bible Reading

Jeremiah 12:1–14:10; 1 Thessalonians 1:1–2:8; Psalm 79:1-13; Proverbs 24:30-34