Diligence helps you to grow spiritually and to actualize your hope
Diligence is one of the key ingredients for success and it is important for victory in the challenges of life. You need it to empower you spiritually and to help you reach a new level of spiritual and professional height. You need to stay totally committed and focus on your goal, dream, undertaking or whatever your intent. This is possible through the grace that you received through Christ. The Bible stated concerning,
“For when God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, saying, “Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you.” And so, after he had patiently endured (Hope), he obtained the promise” (Heb. 6:13-15 NKJV).
The journey to stardom is not a day journey, but it takes diligence to walk through and arrive at the top. Before Joseph rose to the second in command in Egypt, it took Joseph 13 years of painstaking effort to get there. That 13 years journey was not rosy, but it was full of challenges. The success of that journey would only be accomplished by a person who is favored by God and man. The scripture states,
“When a man’s ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him”. (Pro.16:7 NKJV)
What is diligence?
The definition of diligence in the dictionary states, “Careful and persistent work or effort; Hard working and done with painstaking effort”. The inference from the above is that,
- A person who gives it all that it takes to get things done on deadline
- A person who does things thoroughly and well, not shoddily like a lazy person
This is true to some extent, why? Some people put in hard work and they are careful, yet, they don’t have good results. As a Christian, I want you to add faith in God to the dictionary meaning of the word. Faith assures spiritual and physical success in your undertakings.
How does one become diligent?
Diligence is a learned skill and not a gift. Diligence helps to develop a gift. In whatever you undertake, consistent and persistent practicing helps you to be perfect and become a master in that undertaking. Diligence can be developed – it helps to overcome procrastination, bad time management and laziness.
You need to determine and then discipline yourself along the way in every action you take toward success. Keep working hard, in due time, it becomes a habit; then, it will lead you to becoming more responsible. The scripture states,
“And let us not grow weary while doing good (diligent), for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart”. (Gal. 6:9 NKJV)
Signs of a diligent person
When one considers every trouble that Joseph went through in the journey of his destiny and how he overcame all, it takes some painstaking effort and focus to overcome those troubles.
A person who is diligent
- Rises early
- Puts God first before any activity – word and prayer
- Engages in any type of activity that can activate the body
- Sets his/her goals for the day in the order of priority
- inhibits bad thoughts that can hider or slow down his/her day’s activities
- Does not procrastinate on doing things when the opportunity arises – it causes delay or halts activities
- Does not give sleep a chance when it is not time to sleep; however, there is need to rest.
- Needs to focus and avoid distraction
- Finishes task before pleasure
- Spends time judiciously. Time is precious
- Works to develop his/her God-given gift or interest.
- Whatever he/she does is done well.
Can we deduce that these signs are revealed in the life of Joseph? Definitely. If not, Potiphar would not have handed over his house into Joseph’s hand, the jailor would not have put Joseph in charge of the prisoners, and Pharaoh would not have put the economy of Egypt under Joseph’s control. No reasonable person would hand over such an enormous task to a lazy man or someone who procrastinates and would not deliver on time.
The scripture states,
“The hand of the diligent will rule,
But the lazy man will be put to forced labor”. (Pro. 12:24 NKJV)
The journey of destiny is like a man who is seeking honey from the inside of a rock. He must sharpen his axe well; he must not look at the bruised palm of his hands while striking the rock; he must not groan of the pains received because of the bruises; and he must be focused and have faith in God. Finally, after enduring through the rigorous labor and having a breakthrough into the rock and to the beehives, there lies awaiting your “sweetness”.
The above scenario typifies two things,
- It illustrates the course of every man on earth, the pursuit of his vision, goal or his undertakings. His/her aim is to get better day by day. The way to move higher is not that snappy. It requires diligence – spiritual, mental, and physical effort. Otherwise, his/her achievement will be unrighteous or illegitimate. You must work hard to overcome challenges that stand in your way to stardom. What a person works for and acquires righteously will definitely last.
- A Christian’s journey on earth; how to remain a sanctified born-again Christian until the final entrance into heaven.
Joseph was diligent, that helped him to develop his gift of dreams and interpretation which eventually brought him before Pharaoh. The Bible states, “A man’s gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men” (Pro. 18:16 NKJV). This is true, however, only when you develop it by being diligent.
Heaven is a prepared place for those that are prepared. Likewise, success is like a flying scroll, and it descends on those that deserve it. As a Christian, be diligent spiritually, mentally, and physically to break through barriers that stand in the way of your success.
By Lawrence Abitogun
lawrenceabitogun.com, OR christianedification.org