A Diligent Spirit
Whoever seeks good finds favor,
but evil comes to one who searches for it
Proverbs 11:27
Before we can jump in and start discussing what it means to have the spirit of diligence, we first have to understand what being diligent means.
Diligence is defined as careful and persistent work or effort. To be diligent means to show care and conscientiousness in one's work or duties.
-dictionary.com
When we think about someone being diligent we are looking at someone that has an eye for detail, that is thorough enough to pay attention to the finer and smaller things, God expects the same. God is looking for followers that will spread the gospel as well as committing to Him and are going to be diligent enough to pay attention, read His Holy Word, and put their best effort forward in applying what He wants for our lives.
Diligence is something that is imperative to have as a follower of Christ. Diligence and discernment will aid you when the enemy is on the prowl lurking and ready to pounce. It will aid you when false prophets come to teach you things that are not in alignment with God Word. It’s like what we talked about in Weekly Topic Saturdays #37: For Sure or For Show, there are so many people out there that will sound good and that know scripture but will lead you astray simply because they either water the Word down to spoon feed it to a congregation that is hypersensitive to correction and chastisement or preacher’s themselves don’t really know or live the Word in their hearts to receive it. Honesty, both are quite awful to fathom. There are so many church folks out there that are spreading and preaching the gospel for the wrong reasons like appearances, money, and publicity.
Diligence will keep you in the Word of God because everything in this world will fail you, even people, but the Word of God will remain. We have to fight this battle by putting on the Full Armor of God and relying on Holy Clap Backs and discernment to know what is God and what is not. The bible says, to test everything and hold fast to good, and to abstain from evil, and that takes diligence.
Why is Diligence So Important?
Diligence is important because it takes patience, and God values patience. God would like for us to be diligent whatever he assigns to us. Diligent with our gifts, talents, and with our time. God wants to see that we are not wasting the resources that He has planted and gifted to us. Let’s face it when you can get something easy you won’t put in as much work to preserve or protect it. Getting into Heaven is not easy but by any means. We can not get into Heaven off of just good deeds alone. The bible says, entering through the gates of Heaven is narrow, but the gates of Hell are broad and wide, these gates lead you to destruction but many will enter them. [Matthew 7: 13-14]. Entering into Heaven takes diligent work on our part, it takes humility, purity, thankfulness, patience, love, the fruits of the spirit, and so much more. God sees us trying and he knows our hearts. We still must put in the work.
What Does the Bible Say About Being Diligent?
It takes someone who is diligent enough to read, understand, and apply the lessons of the bible to their life. I don’t know about y'all, but when I first read the bible I was lost. I started out reading the King James Translation and was immediately overwhelmed. It didn’t help that some of the lessons sounded like it was written in riddles.
I wanted to give up trying to understand the bible because it was just too much. It wasn’t until I started looking at other translations that I began to understand what the bible was truly saying.
The moral of this lesson for me was that I needed to continue putting in the effort in understanding God’s word. Some effort is better than no effort. My mother used to tell me as a child that God smiles when we read His Word. It doesn’t matter if we read a verse, or two, maybe even a whole chapter, as long as we are reading, it still counts.
Lazy hands make for poverty,
but diligent hands bring wealth.
Proverbs 10:4
A sluggard’s appetite is never filled,
but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.
Proverbs 13:4
Above all else, guard your heart,
for everything you do flows from it.
Proverbs 4:23
The bible tells us to guard our hearts and mind against sin and conform to this world so that we do not fall victim to the enemy. The devil will make you think he cares for you, but that couldn't be far from the truth. He doesn’t care whether you live or die, all he cares about is stealing your eternal inheritance.
He seeks to weaken your faith in God by planting seeds of doubt, hate, unforgiveness, rage, and jealousy in your mind. Anything that is negative is from Satan because it sure is not from God.
Let’s look at this scripture Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress [Timothy 4:15] Like Timothy, we have to pay attention, use discernment to identify false teachers, avoid myths, fruitless discussions, while sitting in an example for others to follow. These are commands that were meant to be followed not suggestions. Let's be clear, there are some “followers” of Christ out there who follow Christ passively. These individuals will experience failure because they are not exhibiting asceticism or diligence. They will fall short of temptation and will be more likely to conform to the world. That is why [Mark 12:28-31] it is so important. Remember that all of our actions flow from our hearts.
Diligent People in the Bible
Throughout the Deadly Series, we have been discussing people in the bible that have been great examples of both the sins and the traits that God finds appeasing in his eye. The bible is a great teacher for everyone because it tells us what example to follow and exactly what God will do to those who are against him. Let’s dive in and take a look at who has been a great example of diligence.
Elisha
If you will turn in your bibles with me to [2 Kings 2:1-15] to read along. In this story we meet Elijah and Elisha, they both were traveling from Gilgal to Bethel. Let me give you some back story. Elijah was Elisha’s master who had trained him and Elisha was loyal to him. Now Elijah and Elisha both knew that God would be calling Elijah home soon. They traveled from Bethel to Jericho, from Jericho to Jordan, and in each of the cities, Elijah would tell Elisha to stay behind. Elisha was diligent and adamant to stick by his Master's side. Due to Elisha’s diligence, he was blessed abundantly.
David
David is another great example of diligence in the bible. David was faithful over a few things so God blessed him with more. When he was you he displayed diligence when taking care of the sheep which in turn caught the eye of God. God knew from the way that he executed minor tasks that David would indeed be able to handle tasks that were more taxing and difficult. David went on to be the King of Israel and was blessed to rule the country based on the lessons and the diligence that he exhibited as a shepherd.
Shades of Diligence
I am going to get up early so that I can have more time to get my tasks done!
I know that I cannot do this on my own, I need God to help me along the way because he already knows what I am to do. I will rely on him!
This morning I am going to stretch and go for a walk to get my day started off right, this will allow for me to be more productive!
I am going to use this time to plan and set both short and long-term goals for myself so that I can know what I am working towards!
When planning my goals I am going to be S.M.A.R.T.!
I am inspired by what my fellow brothers and sisters have been doing. It makes me want to work harder to get things done as well!
There is no need to keep putting this off, I am going to do it now so that way it is not hanging over my head!
I have the asceticism to make a list for myself and complete it before moving on to the next thing.
Because I worked hard, I was able to finish what I needed to get accomplished now I can relax!
Characteristics of Diligence
Sedulous/Dedicated
Diligent people are fully committed and dedicated to their work. They are persistent and will work on whatever project they are currently working on until it is finished. They don’t lose sight of the end goal even if it seems far away or road bumps get in the way. They are faithful over a few things and to God. [Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established. Proverbs 16:3]
Hard Working
Those that are diligent are the exact opposite of lazy. The amount of effort that they put into their work is 100% each time. They don’t give up or allow setbacks to get in the way. [Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, Colossians 3:23]
Attention to Detail
Diligent people pay close attention to detail and will often be the ones to read the fine print. Their close attention allows them to notice the smaller elements that may be overlooked by those that are rushing. These people will produce higher quality items. [My son, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Proverbs 4:20]
Zealous
Diligent people are excited for their work. They embrace God and his Word enthusiastically. These are the people that love their work and will jump out of bed each and every day ready to start. [And he said, “Come with me, and see my zeal for the Lord.” So he had him ride in his chariot. 2 Kings 10:16]
Patient
Those that are diligent are patient. They understand that what they are working on will take time, energy, and resources. They understand that there may be setbacks but they do not allow that to stop them from continuing towards their goals. They are willing to do what needs to be done even if it takes them years to complete. They are willing to work for God loyally waiting on his perfect timing and his command! [Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Romans 12:12]
Rejoice in Hope,
Be Patient in Tribulation,
Be Constant in Prayer!
Put Your Diligence In ✅
Golden Nuggets, I Leave You!
Hey Golden Family, I pray that this blog post blessed you. I only pray that you remain and stay vigilant in our walk with Christ and also your diligence in anything you do. Understand that God holds diligent people to a higher standard. God is always watching and waiting to see what you do with what he gives you. He blesses the diligent no matter who they are whether they be a cook, maid, king, president, queen, a blogger, factory worker and so on. In God’s eyes no job is too small, so don’t despise small beginnings, instead remain steadfast, diligent, and humble. Pay close attention to what he has already given you and work with that. When you least expect it he will step in and bless you with more than you can ever dream of.
Questions To Consider
Are you diligent in the things that you do? Why or why not?
After reading about diligence, are there areas in your life that could use more diligence?
Do you have any of the characteristics of diligence? If so, which ones?
Turn to 2 Corinthians 8, and read about Titus, why do you think he is considered to be diligent?