04.26.07
Week Ten
1. Read chapter 10, “An Eager Attitude”. Was there something that stood out to you? Encouraged you? Convicted you?
2. What are some ways that you can grow more virtuous in your attitude towards your work (whether in the home, school, a job) in the following areas?
- Commitment
- Willingness
- Motivation
- Discipline
3. What are some activities that you do – or should do – on a daily basis? How will you fit them into your day: tomorrow/on a regular basis?
4. What do the following Proverbs teach you about your work? How do they motivate you to work harder?
- Prov. 14:1, 14:23, 19:15, 19:24
5. Think of some task that might be one of your least favorite to do. How will you apply what you’ve learned in this chapter to that particular task?
Tanya said,
April 30, 2007 at 5:01 pm
1. Read chapter 10, “An Eager Attitude”. Was there something that stood out to you? Encouraged you? Convicted you?
Wow – once again, what a full chapter! I think this is a book that I will need to be reading over and over through the years to come… So much to work on! The discipline aspect of this chapter was convicting for me. I’m great at dreaming a lot of times, but when it comes down to actually doing the steps to reach those dreams, I can lose focus and motivation. I liked how she tied discipline and motivation together – it makes a lot of sense. I need to be in the Word to keep motivated to do the tasks that God has for me. When I lose sight of the motivation, everything takes on a sheen of drudgery and it’s that much harder to get myself moving…
2. What are some ways that you can grow more virtuous in your attitude towards your work (whether in the home, school, a job) in the following areas?
- Commitment: I can really see how so much of the battle to accomplish what I need to accomplish is played out in my mind. When I know of a task that needs to be done and am tempted to push it aside for something I would enjoy doing better, I just need to DO that thing needing to be done. Otherwise, what I want to do won’t be as enjoyable since the “needs to be done” will be hanging over my head (if that makes any sense).
- Willingness: I need to work on this. Having a good attitude about the things I know need to be done and seem burdensome can be a real struggle. This is where talking Scripture to myself is an area I can grow in (“do all things without murmuring and complaining”, “Rejoice always”). Sometimes the doing of the task is easier than the having the right attitude about the task.
- Motivation: Here, again, I think that memorizing Scripture would be helpful. And meditating on Scripture. My time here on earth is fleeting and a gift. I need to constantly be praying that God would give me the grace to redeem that time wisely – for His glory.
- Discipline: I can talk myself out of things in a heartbeat. I just need to “do it”! I think that in some areas of my life that I struggle with this in, I need to seek accountability and really be held accountable.
3. What are some activities that you do – or should do – on a daily basis? How will you fit them into your day: tomorrow/on a regular basis?
I need to start doing some form of regular exercise. I think this would help boost my energy level so that I could get more other things done! This is a tough one for me to fit into my schedule, though. At least three times a week, I’d like to take a walk around our neighborhood. With the beautiful weather we’re having these days, the motivation shouldn’t be too hard on that one. It’s just the setting aside of everything else so that I can do it that’s hard.
4. What do the following Proverbs teach you about your work? How do they motivate you to work harder?
- Prov. 14:1, 14:23, 19:15, 19:24
I don’t want to be the woman who pulled her house apart! It takes work to build a house (in every aspect, as I’m even now seeing in the rennovating of our house). If we were to just stay idle, the place would fall apart and become overgrown. By building a home, the wise woman is a good steward of the resources God has given her. I can tend to take for granted those resources instead of appreciating them as I should. Idleness and laziness seem to go together in these verses. And the end of a lazy person doesn’t sound too pleasant! That should be motivation for working harder!
5. Think of some task that might be one of your least favorite to do. How will you apply what you’ve learned in this chapter to that particular task?
Laundry is one of my least favorite things to do. But, the motivation to do it is pretty obvious.
I need to work on my willingness to do it. I should be willing to do it because of the blessing it is to my husband (and to those who come in contact with either of us :>), and knowing that in even such a mundane thing as laundry, I can be glorifying God in my attitude. Every sock that I wash and fold won’t matter in eternity but what will matter was my mentality in doing each one. It’s so important to God that He’ll require of me an account of how I had a bad attitude – even about doing laundry (Rom 14:12).
Charissa said,
May 3, 2007 at 2:25 pm
. Read chapter 10, “An Eager Attitude”. Was there something that stood out to you? Encouraged you? Convicted you?
I agree with you Tanya that this is a very convicting chapter!! It’s so hard to just do things, but I did like it when she pointed out how having a system helps. LIke, always doing certain things on certain days in a specific order. Then it’s more habbit, and things are easier to do when they are habbit.
2. What are some ways that you can grow more virtuous in your attitude towards your work (whether in the home, school, a job) in the following areas?
- Commitment – I need to think about how doing it well is beautiful to God and how being consistent is a blessing to others, which again, pleases God.
- Willingness – I like what she said about how we’ve so to speak signed on, or enlisted to becoming a virtous woman, so I need to remember this a view it as an honorable task to complete!
- Motivation – it was so good to have the book point out how knowing WHY I’m doing it is important!! She listed some very noble why’s. I want to remember that serving others is a great way to serve God! Whether is be at my job or at home.
- Discipline – yes, being mentally tough is hard!! But being disciplined is a very beautiful thing, so with these previous things done, all that’s left it to do whatever my task is.
3. What are some activities that you do – or should do – on a daily basis? How will you fit them into your day: tomorrow/on a regular basis?
One thing I just started working on at work, is charting my performance. It’s amazing how when people start keeping track of what they do or don’t do, that it’s easier to see how to go the extra mile
SO I want to keep it up.
4. What do the following Proverbs teach you about your work? How do they motivate you to work harder?
- Prov. 14:1, 14:23, 19:15, 19:24
In all labor there is profit! that is such a great verse! Sometimes I wonder what the point is of what I’m doing, or whether any good will come of it. But this says that all work is profitable. It helps to put food on the table, provide things we need, or want, it keeps us from getting into trouble ( like being a busy body) and even if it’s just work like chores and such, it provides a better quality of life.
5. Think of some task that might be one of your least favorite to do. How will you apply what you’ve learned in this chapter to that particular task?
cleaning the bathrooms. I really don’t enjoy this at all, but once I start cleaning it, it never takes that long, so I don’t know why I procrastinate and hate doing it! But I do, so, I need to make a specific day and time to do it so that it will be a habbit. I think that will relly help. And, I need to remember why I’m doing it – it keeps a better standard of living
, it is a way to serve Shawn and anyone who comes over and ultimately God. And once I’m disciplined to do it without thinking about it or procrastinating, ( my most hated chore) just think how I’ll be able to move onto the next difficult thing and concquer being disciplined about that to. (and I think it will save time if I’m automatically disciplined to doing it ).