DILIGENT
“See a
man diligent in his business? He shall
stand before kings…” Proverbs 22:29
Diligence
is a word with many sides. It has to do
with work, but more, it is an attitude and action toward work. It means to hasten to do a thing, to exert yourself,
to endeavour with zeal. It also indicates
action with careful attention, imagination, earnestness and accuracy.
In
Zechariah 6:15 it is connected with a promise of God. “…And
this shall come to pass, if ye will diligently obey the voice of the Lord your
God.” So, if we will diligently obey
God, exerting ourselves with zeal and attention to His commands, we will see Him
working in our midst.
This
promise is never truer than in the diligence with which we are to do our
business in this life. What is your
business? Are you a skilled worker, a
banker, a shop worker, a housekeeper, a wife, a husband, parent, servant of
God? We have many types of business in
which we are employed in this life.
There are no menial tasks in God’s economy. We are to do all of our business as unto the
Lord with fervour and diligence.
Diligence
is not to be equated with the mentality of slave labour or bondage. It is just the opposite. It is goal oriented and will always hold
reward. The promise in Zechariah is of
assurance of God’s presence. The promise
in Proverbs 22 is of advancement. To
receive these promises and more that come from diligent endeavour, we must heed
the words of Solomon again. “Be thou
diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds. For riches are not for ever…”
What
do you have? Health, education, a house,
a family, a church home, a Bible, a job, a car, a pet? All are gifts from God. Are you taking good care of them? Are you being a good steward of what God has
given you? Are you being diligent?
DILIGENT
He
becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent
maketh rich.” Proverbs 10:4
I used to try to encourage my family that if
we would all just work together for thirty minutes we could accomplish a
task. It might be something as simple as
a general clean up round the house. I
would be met with moans and groans. It
was like trying to drive turtles!
Of course it would take longer than thirty
minutes to complete and simply because they wasted so much time complaining and
trying to get out of work that they made the task much harder. They seemed to never learn the joy and richness
of the task, only the annoyance at being asked.
They were left poorer.
There is a wonderful secret to be learned in
finding the richness afforded those who understand that a task diligently
accomplished brings joy and satisfaction.
This principle applies in so many areas of
life. In our marriage, diligence pays
great dividends. In our jobs, diligence
is paramount to success. In our
finances, diligence is necessary to keep our heads above water and to prepare
for retirement. In child-rearing, diligence is demanded to produce a maturing
adult who can go out and care for themselves in society. In our Christian walk diligence means that we
are faithful to our Bible reading, prayer time, church attendance and service
to the Lord while always looking to “keep ourselves in the love of God”.
Diligence in all of these areas will make us truly
rich. These riches may not be tangible,
but the real riches never are. You can
never put a price on joy and satisfaction and they can never be won without
diligence.
What areas of your life need more attention? Do you understand the richness of a job well
done? Do you see the unnecessary hazards
brought by slothfulness?
DILIGENT
“The hand of the
diligent shall bear rule: but the slothful shall be under tribute…The slothful
man roasted not that which he took in hunting: but the substance of a diligent
man is precious.” Proverbs 12:24 &
27
The soul of the
sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made
fat.” Proverbs 13:4
The thoughts of the
diligent tend only to plenteousness; but of every one that is hasty only to
want.” Proverbs 21:5
In every one of
these verses the word “diligent” means industrious, or like a tool for
harvest. Look at the qualities. The diligent will be leader. They consider their takings precious. They are full and satisfied. Their goals only produce more.
Being industrious
reminds me of my grandparents. They knew
how to farm and how to make money really stretch. I remember my grandmother frequently telling
me, “It’s not how much money you make, but it is how you manage your
money.” Those are wise words.
They had survived
the great Depression and WWII. They had
retired and continued to be frugal and yet generous. They knew the value of the things they
possessed and used their possessions to create more wealth so they could give
to their children and to the needy that they met. They were a great example to me. Their example also helped me see the other side
of the coin.
On the other hand, I
saw people who seemed to always be down, because they didn’t take care of their
finances. I saw people who would
squander all they had on a moment’s pleasure and I saw them then wanting more
because they had nothing left. I also
saw people looking for get-rich-quick schemes and trying to draw me into their
web. There was no joy or satisfaction in
their lives and rarely did they have anything to share with others.
The Proverbs of the
diligent and the sluggards was played out before me. And, no doubt, you have observed them played
out before you. I don’t know about you,
but I would much rather have the fruits of diligence than the fruits of sloth.
How are your
management skills? Are you a good
steward?
DILIGENT
“Be thou diligent to
know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds. For riches are not for ever: and doth the
crown endure to every generation?”
Proverbs 27:23
This diligence is
about knowing that your affairs are in order.
The writer refers to flocks and herds because these were the economy of
the day. A farmer with livestock knows that
the animals must be cared for daily.
They need feed and water. They
need to be protected from wild beasts and disease.
Today we might think
that farming is for the simple minded, but we are deceiving ourselves. There is
a great amount of knowledge and work demanded to be a successful farmer. The farmer knows that a severe storm or a
blighted crop can destroy all he has worked for. He knows that riches are not forever! So he is diligent to make sure that he has
prepared for all known contingencies and then leaves the rest with God.
Life is
uncertain. We can lose our job. We can miss out on a promotion. We can get a cut in pay. Our retirement fund can disappear. Age will move us down the pay scale. Illness
can make us housebound. Any number of
things can change our circumstances. Wise financial planning is taught throughout
the Bible and God calls upon us to make good use of the riches he has given
us. He knows that these things are
temporal, but He expects us to be good stewards and then leave the rest with
Him.
I am not promoting a
life of fear, but a life of diligent consideration. Do you have a will prepared? Do you have life and health insurance? Do you have some savings? Are you looking diligently to the state of
your life?
DILIGENT
“Keep thy heart with
all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” Proverbs 4:23
To guard, keep in
custody or imprison. That is the picture
painted by the Proverb. We are to guard
our heart to the point that it is cut off from worldly outside influences.
When I think of the
Scriptures that describe our hearts I can see why this picture is painted. The heart is desperately wicked, it is
deceitful, the heart is the source of evil thoughts, it is troubled, it is
blind, and it probably should be in prison!
It needs a strong hand! I know my
heart does!
When I think that
out of my heart come the words that I say and the thoughts that I think, I am
ashamed. Though these words never cross
my lips and these thoughts are never heard or recorded, I know they are
there. I know my heart rages sometimes
and can be extremely playful with wicked imaginations - if I allow.
That is the key – if
I allow. My heart was cleansed at
Calvary. I do not have to allow it’s
sinful tendencies to rule my life any more.
It has been conquered and by my choices I bring it now into obedience to
Christ.
I must diligently
consider how I feed my heart and how I protect my heart. If I allow it to feed
on anger or resentment, it will react.
If I expose it to pornography or gossip, it will react. There is an admonition in Jeremiah 10:2 that says, “…learn not the way of the
heathen.” As God’s children we are to be
diligently focusing our hearts on learning more of Him – not learning more of
the way of the world.
Conversely, if I
feed my heart on God’s Word, forgiveness, compassion and love, it will react
accordingly. If I protect it from evil
and keep the good and pleasant before my eyes, my heart will respond. I am a
product of what goes into my heart through the windows of my eyes and
mind. That’s what the Proverbs means
when it refers to the issues of life.
So….what is issuing
from your heart today? Is your heart
protected or exposed? What is your heart feeding upon? What is your heart learning? Are you
diligently tending it or allowing it free reign?
