BCL Online Picks — January 1, 2026
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Happy new year to our BCL readers! With resolutions for 2026 on our minds and hearts, here are some helpful articles from around the web to consider on diligence, quietness, and dependence on God.
1. Humility and Overcommitted Busyness
Busyness isn’t just a scheduling problem—it’s often a spiritual one. In this Ligonier Ministries article, counselor and author Alasdair Groves explains how chronic overcommitment can reflect a lack of humility, as if we were meant to live without limits. Groves gently calls believers to embrace their creaturely dependence on God, trust his providence, and find freedom in saying no. Read it here →
2. It’s On You
According to author Keith Lowery, “You yourself can choose to act for the benefit of your own flourishing and for the flourishing of those you love.” In this thoughtful Substack essay, Lowery urges readers to take responsibility for the gifts and opportunities God has entrusted to them rather than waiting for ideal conditions or allowing obstacles to discourage them. Lowery reminds us that faithful stewardship involves acting with wisdom, diligence, and courage in the ordinary circumstances God has given us. Read it here →
3. When Compassion Replaced Responsibility
In this pointed Substack essay, pastor and author Virgil Walker warns that compassion becomes distorted when it emphasizes suffering while ignoring stewardship. Detaching sympathy from responsibility, he argues, replaces biblical love with sentimentality and weakens moral clarity. Walker calls Christians back to a compassion shaped by Scripture—one that holds mercy and responsibility together. (Many thanks to The Aquila Report for bringing this article to our attention.) Read it here →
4. How Can I Know If I’m Working Too Much?
In this Gospel Coalition “Thorns & Thistles Q&A,” author Mary Wiley helps readers discern when diligence slips into overwork. Rather than offering a rigid formula, she points to biblical wisdom—examining priorities, limits, and the health of our callings—to help Christians steward their work in a way that honors God and serves others. Read it here →
5. Diligent Christianity
Christian diligence isn’t frantic busyness but faithful obedience. In this Gospel Coalition article, pastor Erik Raymond calls believers to pursue careful attention to God’s Word, unity in the church, and honest self-examination—reminding us that true diligence flows from humility and love for Christ, not mere activity. Read it here →
6. The Duty of Diligence
In this thoughtful Challies.com post on diligence, pastor and author Tim Challies reminds Christians that while idleness is a serious temptation, so is undervaluing lawful, ordinary work. Emphasizing that God calls us to live faithfully in everyday tasks, Challies highlights diligence as a duty rooted in God’s design: our ordinary lives and ordinary labors matter for his glory. Read it here →
7. The Difficult Habit of Quiet
In a noisy and self-reliant age, quiet can feel almost impossible. In this Desiring God article, Marshall Segal shows how stillness preaches reality to our souls—reminding us that God is God and we are not, that he is strong and we are weak. Engaging with Isaiah 30 in particular, Segal explains why this trusting quietness forms humility, dependence, and deeper attentiveness to the Lord. Read it here →
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