Diligence is a great virtue in the Christendom and all aspects of human endeavor. It is even more important in the fulfilment of one’s assignment on earth.
Diligence is the best assessment of a person’s seriousness towards any assignment given to them; it is okay doing what you have been asked to do but to stand out and be marked out for great rewards, one needs to be diligent with what they are doing.
“But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him” Hebrews 11:6.
Having faith in God is good and comes with rewards but nothing comes close to the reward of diligently seeking God.
To serve God diligently is to devote more time and attention to the assignment He has given you and to jealously ensure that it is done to perfection. It is about consciously making efforts to please Him at all times in all things.
Unfortunately, there are many Christians serving God but few are diligently seeking Him on a regular basis. To some, it is just about doing the regular things of going to church, praying routinely and perhaps attending to the requirements of the church.
These are good things to do as a Christian since they are duties and responsibilities conferred on us. However, there is a higher calling unto diligence, which requires that we move away from the elementary things into deeper service of the Lord.
“Therefore, leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go iunto perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith towards God” Hebrews 6:1.
Here, we are called upon to move unto perfection by improving on what we are doing or have already done in the Lord. There is more to do to please God and get a better reward than what we are getting now. This can only happen when we get dissatisfied with how we are serving Him now and make it a point to do better and be more committed to our assignment on earth.
“….But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead” Philippians 3:13
Those were the words of Paul to the Philippians about how he was seeking God. He wasn’t satisfied with his achievement so was pushing on till the final point. That is diligence!
It is a great pity to see how much time some Christians devote to other things as compared to time for the things of God. This is likely to provoke God to jealousy and reduce our chances of getting more rewards.
There are young and older Christians who devote more time to soccer and other things than the things of God. It isn’t about such things as their jobs but just passion. Comparatively, their passion for the things of God is virtually nonexistent.
Some Christians do not even know any Bible verse but can name the selection of all the clubs in the European leagues and other events. Though there may be nothing wrong with that passion, when it far supersedes the passion for the assignment God has given us, it becomes problematic, especially when it doesn’t even fall within our professional responsibilities.
“He that is slothful in his work, is brother to him that is a great waster” Proverbs 18:9. Some Bible versions refer to the slothful or lazy as a destroyer. Many of us Christians are slothful (slow, lazy or not diligent) to our calling and as a result are destroying the Kingdom work.
God brought us unto this world for a purpose and we shall account for our lives after the time allotted for the assignment is past. The assignment isn’t only about our lives but other lives. Failure to execute it results in destruction of other lives and destinies
That is why we need to know the assignment and not only set ourselves to do it but also apply much diligence to ensure it is done and done well.
It is important to know how far the consequences of our actions or otherwise can go, especially when they are time-sensitive.
Let us move deeper, as the Lord Jesus told the disciples to cast their nets deeper under His instructions. We can do better than we are doing now. It isn’t enough to just go to church, it isn’t enough to just read the Word of God. It is time to go beyond these elementary acts of Christianity by adding more diligence to your faith.
It isn’t just about rewards, but the effect on other lives. Slothfulness destroys and limits our capacity and potential to achieve more. Let’s not waste the time and talents God has given us for the assignment on earth.
The reward and fulfilment in diligent service are greater than we can imagine.
“The hand of the diligent will rule, while the slothful will be put to forced labour” Proverbs 12:24
Author: Theodore Mawuli K. Viwotor, Pastor of The Word In Action Church, Ghana Branch.
Your views are welcome on mviwotor@yahoo.com or +233209360800 (WhatsApp)
