DILIGENCE

IMPACT YOUTH NETWORK WEEKLY PUBLICATION

             {IMPACT DIGEST}

                     DILIGENCE

 (Core values of Impact Youth Network International)

Proverbs 13:4: The appetite of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the appetite of the diligent is abundantly supplied.

                      What is DILIGENCE?

Diligence is said to be one of the heavenly virtue. It means a lot of things actually. It works well parrri passu, with words like rigor, conscientiousness, industriousness, tenacity, and persistence. It could be said to be a deliberate practice, determination and self-motivation to do something. Diligence is one of the precious quality of a hard worker. It is the steady application of careful work involving long-term effort. Diligence is a continuous act. It is practiced till it becomes a habit and then a lifestyle. It involves efficiency in words and actions. It means being prudent and wise. Diligence is setting goals, making plans and sticking to it. Proverb 10:4: “He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich”

 It’s a virtue that is important and needs to be practiced in every area and division of our lives; in our Christian walk which covers our academics, businesses, and relationships. As believers, diligence involves taking effort to do one’s part, while keeping faith and reliance in God. It is said that high workers are high-flyers. What you say and do determines what you get. Busy hands speak louder than idle mouths. We should only speak positivity always and put effort into accomplishing whatever is said. Proverbs 13:4: “lazy people want much but get little, but those who work hard will prosper”. This depicts that diligence produces result. It’s been shown that diligence is a virtue that should be habitual; meaning one needs to build it up with time, and this involves tenacity, discipline, perseverance and consistency.

  One way to see having a habit of diligence as a big deal (because it is) that needs to be fitted or evident in every area of our lives is to see our life as it is… just one life. There are no parts of our life that needs a separate or special attention… We need to give one hundred percent effort to every aspect of our lives. Someone once said that “Many prayer Giants are gallant failures because they ignore work and many workaholics are failures because they ignore God.” 

      The Bible says in Colossians 3:23: “Do your best. Work from the heart for your real Master, for God, confident that you'll get paid in full when you come into your inheritance. Keep in mind always that the ultimate Master you're serving is Christ. The sullen servant who does shoddy work will be held responsible. Being a follower of Jesus doesn't cover up hard work. This shows that all works are to be done bearing in mind that they are for God. 

The most interesting part of the Christ life is that God has given us his Holy Spirit to help us with every instruction and mandate he has given to us. His spirit in us helps our weaknesses and enables us to build on His own strength. He teaches us all things and helps us grow into who God wants us to be. The Bible teaches of various benefits of being diligent and the rewards of a diligent man. In Proverbs 22:29, the Bible says, “Do you see any truly competent workers? They will serve kings, rather than working for ordinary people”. This is the reward of diligence. 

The results produced when diligence is out into work is abundance. In other words, we could say diligence is the mother of success. Diligence opens up doors to opportunities. How diligent a person is goes a long way in determining how successful the person becomes. 

Winston Churchill once said “The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity, the optimist sees an opportunity in every difficulty’’. 

Diligent people should always be optimistic. Even the Bible says that all things work together for those that love God. All God requires of us is our belief. Self-esteem and diligence are two important factors in the achievement of success. Diligence is evident in excellent results, both in the days of old and now.

     However, many people shy away from it, but there is no shortcut to lasting success. Diligence is a great tool and anyone who wants to achieve lasting the success must use it. Diligence makes you a better person. The Bible encourages us to be diligent. The book of Hebrew 6vs11 says, “l desire that every one of you do shew the same Diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end.”  

Many men of old like Joshua, Moses, Gideon, David, Samuel and Paul were diligent in their services to God and relationship or dealings with man. For every success, diligence is significant and completely needed from the beginning to the end. It’s easy to be lazy and slothful, but sloth makes and ignores problems, while diligence overcomes them.

  What we hope ever to do with ease, we must learn first to do with diligence. Efforts made in doing work diligently always produces excellent result. It may not be easy, but if you want to walk the road of success, you have to go through the path of diligence. You may rise slowly but you are sure to rise. Success is inevitable for a diligent person. Greatness isn’t handed to anyone, it requires a lot of hard work, and the best in any field are those who are diligent. Diligence makes a big difference; it pays to be Diligent.

To the end that you can be favored, anointed and called of God. But if you are not diligent with your assignment, you might end up at little or nothing (not giving expression of which Christ has imputed in you, 2Timothy2:15: “study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth”). 

 Show Diligence in Prayer, Ministry and Study of the word. (Romans 12:11.)

God Bless you!...