Last week, I wrote about the importance of "Bossing My Thoughts." As I mentioned in that E-Letter, I struggled greatly with doing so.

Earlier this year, I read a book that challenged me to raise the bar in certain areas of my life, it's called The Richest Man Who Ever Lived- King Solomon's Secrets to Success, Wealth and Happiness, by Steven K. Scott.

In it, the author talks about traits that King Solomon revealed  to us in Proverbs that leads to a successful life. The one that hit me between the eyes was "Diligence".

As I researched further, I found that in the Bible the word Diligence is used 31 times, and Diligent is used 33 times, making a combined total of 64 times. Clearly, this is a character trait considered important by God for living the way He desires me to.

One online dictionary defines diligence as: 1. Earnest and persistent application to an undertaking; steady effort; assiduity. 2. Attentive care; heedfulness.

I like how Steven Scott defines it in the book. He says, "Diligence is a learnable skill that combines: creative persistence, a smart-working effort rightly planned and rightly performed in a timely, efficient, and effective manner to attain a result that is pure and of the highest quality of excellence."

Nowhere in either of these definitions does it say "If I feel like it", "only if conditions are right", "unless something better comes along", "if not too hard" or "only if it's the popular thing to do."

In the book, He explains that anyone can become diligent; and then provides the steps that King Solomon laid out to do so.

When I realized that this is a learnable skill (opposed to being born with it), it completely shifted my thinking. I no longer could use the excuse, "I'm not like that", "I just don't have that kind of determination", "God didn't create me with that type of persistence", "that's just not my personality type", etc.

All I was doing by giving those excuses was admitting that I was lazy, looking for the easy way out and didn't want to be held accountable.

I now know that what it does take to become diligent is desire and discipline. My husband always says that it's not Will Power that's important; it's Want Power. If you Want something bad enough, then you can Will your thinking and actions, but you first have to Want it.

I had a few areas that I continued to struggle with in regards to being the kind of Help Meet to my husband that God says I should be. Shortly after reading the book, it became clear why - I lacked diligence. I lacked diligence because I lacked faith (ouch!).

So, I decided to claim in a new and bold way Hebrews 11:6 which says, "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."

I decided it was time for me to take my faith life to a new level. I re-looked at scripture that describes the character traits of being a godly wife (see previous My Journey E-Letters listed below), and decided to get serious with God and my husband, and took it up a notch.  I WANTED to be this this kind of wife!

If God thought these traits were important enough to list in His Word, then obviously He didn't intend for me to do a mediocre job. Once again, He reminded me that I reap what I sow.  Mediocre in, means mediocre out.

God has given me all of the tools I need to be the kind of wife He's called me to be, I just need to use them. Using them means I demonstrate faith.  Demonstrating faith takes diligence.

I'll tell you more about my spiritual journey as a wife next week in My Journey.    

 -Pam