I wonder whether our overreaching nanny state has partially blinded us from recognising the cause and effect of labour and labour’s return. I have been reading and re-reading Proverbs for nearly a year now and time and time again I am struck by the connection between hard work and the fruit of hard work.
Work, of course, was ordained in Eden by a good Father who ruled that effort bring forth results. Certainly, the conditions of work today are a million miles from what they were in the beginning at Eden. We are fallen workers, battling our own sins and disappointments. The thistles and thorns with which God cursed the world perhaps manifest themselves in the disobedience of our children, the fact that ‘things tend to disorder’, or the consequences of sin that make our work less delightful. Nevertheless, the principal of reaping what we sow remains and I want to encourage you hard-working mothers that your diligent work, accomplished before an audience of one, will necessarily bear some fruit.
1. By Diligence We Rise to Rule Our Spheres
‘The hand of the diligent will rule…’ (Proverbs 12:24)
Charles Bridges writes that, ‘diligence is the ordinary path to advancement’ and that ‘diligence will always command influence in its own sphere.’ In the workforce, all things being equal, it is the diligent worker who rises to the fore. He will learn his job thoroughly, grow in efficiency, earn the respect of his colleagues, and eventually be given a greater responsibility. In a similar fashion, the mother who is diligent to improve her skill at mothering, teaching and stewarding her household wisely will find that over time she is able to accomplish more for the Lord.
Consider how many home-educating mothers have built up a particular knowledge, skill or competence in one area. Perhaps she has a special insight into children with special needs or notable ability in teaching science. Perhaps a love of history has inspired a mother to put the jewels of her knowledge into a curriculum to bless other home-educating mothers. The reason this mother has found the resources to put time and effort into blessing those outside of her household is because she has learned the art of working diligently within. She stewards her time wisely and becomes more efficient at what she does. She improves upon the minutes the Lord has allotted to her.
2. By Diligence We Use the Means God Has Ordained
‘Where no oxen are, the crib is clean, but much increase is by the strength of the ox’ (Proverbs 14:4)
Bridges writes ‘God works by means, not by miracles’. Perhaps we look around our house and pray that by a miracle the bombsite will return to order. But the reality is that the way our house will become orderly is by us diligently using the means (tidying it up!). Perhaps we have no routine in the day and our children push back every time we suggest work. We could pray they will have better attitudes, but the truth is that if we are diligent to start at the same time each day and slowly put routines in place, then our children will not feel as though we are continually changing the goalposts. Perhaps our finances are a mess and we pray for a miracle. Again, a little diligence helps us to keep track of spending and stewarding our resources more effectively.
Too often we pray for God to help us out of a tricky situation rather than use the means (work) that he has given us to resolve the situation for ourselves.
3. By Diligence We Finish What We Start
‘Whoever is slothful will not roast his game, but the diligent man will get precious wealth.’ (Proverbs 12:27)
Bridges writes, ‘The sluggard desires the gain of diligence without the diligence that gains.’ Think about the picture painted in Proverbs. Every once in a while, even the sluggard might have a burst of energy and catch something to eat. However, he is so lazy that he does not even follow the job through by cooking his catch.
How many times do we half-start something only to abandon it because we cannot be bothered to put in the effort to see it through? Of course, there is a certain amount of trial and error in home education and some projects need to die by the wayside. However, so often we put in hours of hard work into an idea and by not finishing the job properly, we lose all that we could have gained. Perhaps we decide on a whim to teach our children a new subject. We do not plan a time for what we are doing. We do not take the time to read ahead in the book and after a few chaotic lessons we give up. The time is essentially wasted for want of a little more diligence to see it though.
Finally,
The thing about diligence, of course, is that it is within the reach of every mother. Not many of us can claim to be a true genius, composing symphonies or passing further maths exams at the age of five. However, since every human being is created in the image of God, we can all learn diligence. Diligence is the art of faithful, repeated, uncomplaining action. It does not shout for attention but it is that quiet step of faith which acknowledges that whilst God is the Lord of salvation, he has ordained the means…
