Internationally
acclaimed violinist Midori believes that focused, diligent practice is the key
to performance. While playing a rigorous schedule of 90 concerts a year, she
still practices an average of 5 or 6 hours a day. Jane Ammeson, in NWA
WorldTraveler magazine, quoted Midori as saying: “I have to practice for my
job and I practice every day. . . . It’s not really the hours, but the quality
of the work that needs to be done. I see with students, that they play and they
call it practice, but they are not listening and not watching. If you have your
textbook open, it doesn’t mean that you are studying.”
That same
principle applies to our walk of faith. Paul wrote to Timothy, “Be diligent to
present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed,
rightly dividing the Word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15). Diligence implies constant,
earnest effort, and is the opposite of a careless, inattentive approach. It
embraces every aspect of our relationship with God.
Just
as a musician strives for excellence, we should want to serve God with
confidence, seek His approval, and skillfully share His Word with others.
Am
I diligently studying, praying, and listening to the Lord today?
God
speaks to those who take time to listen, and He listens to those who take time
to pray. (RBC)
