Pastor Freed recently used this quote in his blog, Jack’s Winning Words – “The heart should be cultivated with more assiduity than the head.” (Noah Webster)
Yes, I had to look up the word “assiduity”, too. It is certainly not a word that I drop into casual conversations or that’s I’m even likely to ever use again.
as·si·du·i·ty
/ˌasəˈd(y)o͞oədē/
- constant or close attention to what one is doing.
“the assiduity with which he could wear down his opponents.”
2. constant attentions to someone.
I suppose that one could say that a person should display assiduity to the one that they love; however, no one would understand what you were saying that would probably just think that you are being pretentious.
All pretentiousness aside, it is actually good advice to pay close and constant attention to the ones that we love. That is not the same as overbearing attention, which might smother the relationship or sour it due to concerns about personal space and control. Rather it is to say that one should pay attention to the needs of the other person, whether they be physical or emotional needs.
A perceived lack of sensitivity to the needs of a partner is one of the leading causes of friction within relationships and that is due to a lack of assiduity to the needs of the partner. Men, in particular most often allow themselves to get so wrapped up in their work and careers that they lose focus upon the needs of their families, especially their life-partners.
So maybe keeping this weird word in mind – assiduity – will help you remember to pay attention to your significant other and not just on Valentine’s Day, but every day.
In our faith lives, God, too, demands your assiduity. We are told in Hebrews 2:1 – “Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.”
It is not so much that we overtly sin, as much as it is that we just lose focus and drift away from God. I have written here before about the voice of God in our lives being like a whisper that one must strain to hear and listen to intently, with great assiduity (see my post on Rebooting yourself by listening for God’s whisper).
Is it time for an assiduity check in your personal life? How about in your faith life? Maybe you can write the word assiduity on a little piece of paper and tape it to your mirror as a reminder to pay attention to God and those that you love. If it gets your attention, that’s a good thing.
Can one say, “Have an assiduitous day”? Not sure and not going there.
Just pay attention today!
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