Scattered But Not Lazy

4 Lazy hands make for poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth.

Yesterday I read a book that was published well over a century ago, titled “As a Man Thinketh” by James Allen. (Thanks Tom) It is a fabulous, sort of “cliff notes” style book on the subject of mindset. I would have to imagine that in 1903, this book would have been considered cutting edge in the arena of personal development. Today, it is one of many that have been written on the topic. Since reading the Bible, what I have found interesting is that many of the thoughts expressed in this or other self-improvement books can be found in scripture. With that said, these books offer a clear, concise perspective on what many of us consider to be an overwhelming, if not confusing topic.

As I was reading yesterday, so many important and wonderful words of wisdom jumped off the pages. Since I recently moved, I was frustrated that I couldn’t locate my  favorite yellow highlighter so I ended up settling in on a sharp #2 pencil. I used to be one of those people who wanted to keep their books pristine, not anymore! Nowadays I mark it up like a toddler who just discovered that there are 24 colors in a box of crayons. By the time I am done with a book, it’s a mess! The better the book, the messier it gets. 🙂 By the time I finished “As a Man Thinketh”, you could hardly see the type through the charcoal pencil marks and drawings I made all over the light tan pages.

One of my all-time favorite quotes, “coincidence is God’s way of staying anonymous” from Albert Einstein, resonated deeply with me today as I read Proverbs 10 and searched for today’s verse. Apparently God made sure that I read “As a Man Thinketh” yesterday as a prerequisite for today’s post.

The verse that I chose today is verse 4,” Lazy hands make for poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth.” It seems so obvious, right? There are so many verses that speak about this truth, yet for me it hasn’t always been so black and white.

If you know me, you will know that I am anything but lazy. Since I was a little child I have been full of energy. I remember as a kid how my uncle would try to get me to sit down, or how my mom would bribe me with nickels and dimes to keep me still on a long drive. As an adult it didn’t get any better, I always had something going on. I would work 60 plus hours a week as an account executive, then take off immediately after work on Friday to operate my own production company. Many times, I’d work right through the weekend, then start the cycle all over again come Monday. If I wasn’t working, you would find me in the barn, house or yard up to my arm pits in some project that I deemed important. The bottom line is that I am not, a lazy person. Yet, if I am honest with myself, I can’t say that I have always been diligent either.

To be diligent means to show care and conscientiousness in one’s work or duties. So, what happens if your hands aren’t lazy but neither are they diligent? Specifically, what if you are active, show care but fail to bring conscientiousness to your activities, specifically to your work? Surely you won’t be in poverty but will you be on track to  receive all the wealth that God has in store for you?

Where verse 4 and “As a Man Thinketh” coincidentally collided for me was on page 16 where James Allen points out that “until thought is linked with purpose there is no intelligent accomplishment”. He goes on to say, “a man should conceive of a legitimate purpose in his heart, and set out to accomplish it. He should make this purpose the centralizing point of his thoughts“.

If you are still reading this, you may be wondering what all this means and even more importantly, why in the heck should you care?!  I think it all comes down to this. You can “live” the Bible and make sure that your “hands” are not lazy but until you consider, create and focus your thoughts on the accomplishment of that vision; you are working, but not DILIGENTLY working (with consciousness) on the purpose that God has created specifically for you!

It’s time to get focused!

“To put away aimlessness and weakness, and to begin to think with purpose, is to enter the ranks of those strong ones who only recognize failure as one of the pathways to attainment; who make all conditions serve them, and who think strongly, attempt fearlessly, and accomplish masterfully.” – James Allen

I hope that you have a great day!

Kevin

PS- If you like what you are reading and you think someone else could benefit, please share 🙂