God's Kingdom

“Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life.” (Proverbs 4:23).

          

  Being an effective part of God’s Kingdom takes diligence.  

It’s not a once a week commitment. 

                                                                                    It's not even a once a day commitment.  

Being an effective part of the Kingdom of God is a constant thing that you must train yourself to do.

Recently, Pastor Mitch has been talking about being doers of the Word, knowing the names of God, and knowing what the Holy Spirit does.  He has been on these three things for quite some time now.  He talks about drilling himself about the names of God and repeating over and over what the Holy Spirit does when he comes.  Why does he do this?  Because that is the diligence it takes to get to know the things of God.

Think of learning math equations in school.  Did you look at them once and understand them?  Even if you had the rules in front of you, could you pass the tests without practicing them and studying them first?  Of course not.  The rules of algebra had to be explained to all of us before we understood them.  Then we had to be diligent to practice and study them before we felt comfortable enough to apply them during a test.

Well, it is the same thing with the Word of God. 

At church and through teachings are a couple ways we have God’s Word explained to us.  Then it is up to us to take that Word home to study and meditate on.  Once we have meditated on the Word, it is then our responsibility to apply what we have been taught.  Applying the Word is our test, and much like school knowledge, Kingdom knowledge builds upon itself.  You can’t learn algebra without knowing how to add, subtract, multiply, and divide.  This is why it is important to constantly apply the Word and to not allow any aspect to be thrown to the way side.

I think that most people will agree that it is not easy to constantly meditate on and apply the Word of God.  This is where diligence comes in.  Diligence is characterized as a steady, earnest, and energetic effort.  Apply that to Proverbs 4:23 and we are instructed to be steady, earnest, and to have an energetic effort to keep our hearts.  This is the complete opposite of a once a week sermon in which most people turn their brains off and are fortunate if they retain the five to seven percent that is expected.  Diligence is not only giving that sermon one’s undivided attention, but then reviewing that sermon throughout the week and meditating on how God would have one apply it to their life.  As one applies the Word, not only does it become the issues of one’s heart, but it pushes out worldly ways.  This is how a person goes about the Father’s business.

When a Word is brought forth there is a transfer of responsibility.  If our pastor fails to teach on something God told him His people needed to hear, then our pastor will have to answer for that, but once he preaches the Word, we are responsible for it.  If we fail to do anything with it, we have allowed God’s Word to return void, and we will have to answer for that.  Don’t allow God’s Word to return void.  Be diligent in the things of God’s Kingdom and apply His Word to your life.