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)
