Thoroughness: A Spiritual Reinforcement

Transcription

1 Thoroughness: A Spiritual Reinforcement If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. John 13:17

2 Spend some time with your child this month explaining the virtues of thoroughness. Success is in the details. Thoroughness is the awareness of even the smallest details and their relationship to the big picture. This doesn t come automatically. It is learned by attention to how details have affected our past successes and failures and learning from the successes of others. Thoroughness is getting the job done, but it doesn t stop there. The job includes cleaning up after the work is over. This month, challenge your family not only to plan their work with thoroughness but also to work their plan as thoroughly as they created it! As parents, we should set aside time to teach our children character traits that will make them outstanding, admired citizens. Every day is filled with opportunities for helping them learn about the character traits we value and want to encourage. Children)who)are)thorough)are:...methodical...careful...systematic...complete detailed meticulous Thoroughness is the quality of being detailed, careful, or complete. The opposite of thoroughness is careless, hasty, or casual. How to Demonstrate Thoroughness at Home Avoiding leaving appliances partially fixed or tools broken. Cleaning under furniture and behind shelves. Sons and daughters calling home when they are out too late. Family members having a system of receiving phone messages and passing them on accurately. at Work/School Sons and daughters completing their homework using legible handwriting. Making a daily to do list of projects that need to be done. at Church Using concordances and other study tools to assist in personal Bible study or lesson preparation. Making sure you have adequate time to thoroughly prepare your Sunday School lessons. Tithing regularly on your gross income. Character Definitions of Thoroughness Learning what details are important to the success of a project. Taking time and effort to validate facts before discussing a matter. Carrying out each task in preparation for God s personal approval and inspection. Knowing what factors will diminish the effectiveness of my work or words, if neglected.

3 Bible Stories Related to Thoroughness How the Jews thoroughly cleansed their home of leaven (Exodus 13:7) in preparation for the feast of unleavened bread The story of the good shepherd who did not give up until the lost sheep was found (Luke 15:4) The story of Nehemiah who made thorough preparations to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem Jesus s teaching of Counting the Cost in Luke chapter 14 Jacob: (Genesis 29)Served out an additional 7 years for Rachel Early Church Christians: (Acts 5:42) And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ. Noah: completed the Ark Solomon completed the Temple The I Wills of Thoroughness I WILL plan my work. I WILL pay attention to details. I WILL make a list so I don t forget. I WILL finish what I start. I WILL clean up along the way. Personal Evaluation in Thoroughness Are you committed to thoroughness in all you do? Would God be impressed with your thoroughness in hygiene: brushing teeth, washing hands, etc.? Do you picture God inspecting the jobs you do? Do you thoroughly examine your life before taking communion? Do you clean around items and also under them? When you paint, do you make sure there is adequate preparation, including drop cloths to protect floors and carpets? Do you complete all the necessary details of a job, or do you leave things for others to do, such as cleanup? Family Activities to Practice Thoroughness 1. With your child, make a written plan for the day. Include information about where, when, and how. At the end of your day see how well you were able to follow the plan. Discuss how you might have done better. Point out the things that went smoothly because of your planning. 2. When giving your child a task to complete, discuss the importance of thoroughness. Talk about the importance of doing a job well. Talk about how they feel when the task is completed accurately and completely. 3. To help your child develop a skill for paying attention to detail play the following game. Use picture flash cards, pictures taken from a magazine, or other resources. Let your child

4 look at the picture for about five seconds. Turn the picture over, so they can no longer look at the picture. Ask them to describe the picture to you, giving as much detail as they can. Check to see how much they did remember. CAYG Anyone who has worked at McDonald s knows what this acronym stands for: Clean As You Go. McDonald s strict policy on keeping the work area and utensils clean and tidy at all times is drilled into employees. The policy enforces cleaning and straightening at the soonest possible moment. Cleaning isn t an afterthought. It is an important step in the work instructions for food preparation. Once you master the concept, habit makes cleaning as you go feel natural. Many McDonald s employees report using the concept successfully in their own homes or dorm rooms. CAYG is a good habit to cultivate and to increase thoroughness! Next time you go to McDonalds enjoy your food, and watch for thoroughness from the employees!

5 It's important to memorize Scripture in order to stand strong during life's difficult circumstances. When you have Bible verses inscribed in your mind, you're carrying a concealed weapon. You're wielding the sword of the Spirit. (Dr. David Jeremiah) With your family, meditate on these passages during the month of March and begin laying up His words in your heart. Finished and completed are being used as synonyms for thoroughness. Genesis 2:1 Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. 2 Chronicles 8:16 Now all the work of Solomon was well-ordered from the day of the foundation of the house of the Lord until it was finished. So the house of the Lord was completed. Ezra 4:13 Let it now be known to the king that, if this city is built and the walls completed, they will not pay tax, tribute, or custom, and the king s treasury will be diminished. Ezra 5:11 And thus they returned us an answer, saying: We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the temple that was built many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and completed. Nehemiah 4:2 And he spoke before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they fortify themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they complete it in a day? Will they revive the stones from the heaps of rubbish stones that are burned? Nehemiah 6:15 [ The Wall Completed ] So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of Elul, in fiftytwo days. John 19:30 So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, It is finished! And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit. Acts 14:26 From there they sailed to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work which they had completed. 2 Timothy 3:17 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.