Diligent: The Path of Conscientious and Hardworking Service

Being diligent is characterised by being industrious, thorough, and carefully applying ourselves to every task. This quality is foundational to living a life of purpose and integrity, reflecting the biblical principle that God rewards those who earnestly seek Him.

Guarding the Heart with Diligence

The Bible states, "God rewards those who earnestly seek Him" (Heb 11:6). We are instructed to, "Guard our hearts with all diligence because everything we do flows from the heart" (Prov 4:23). The heart, as the control centre for our life, must be consistently and intentionally protected from evil thoughts and lustful desires which easily infiltrate and can be outworked in wrong words and behaviour (Mt 15:18-19; 2 Cor 10:4-5).

We all should faithfully carry out the directives of those over us, and not just when they are watching. "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord not for men" as you provide for those in your care (Rom 12:11; Eph 6:5-8; Col 3:22-25; 1 Tim 6:1-2; Tit 3:14).

Christians should be known for their good workmanship and doing more than is expected – "Going the second mile" (Mt 5:41). Good work ethics involve living out the golden rule of "Doing to others what we would like them to do for us" (Lk 6:31).

Can I be described as a diligent person?

This requires consistent effort – motivated by the fact that God will be glorified, understanding the principle of sowing and reaping, while knowing satisfaction and success are the consequences of diligence which will culminate in heavenly rewards of "Well done good and faithful servant" for services rendered on earth (Prov 13:4, 22:29; Mt 25:21,23; Gal 6:7-8). The Bible calls us to keep our eyes on Christ our example who went to Calvary for us (Heb 12:1-3). Although tempted to give up when the going gets tough and tedious this will not result in reaching the desired goal of fulfilling your God-given calling. The challenge given is, "Run in such a way as to get the reward" (1 Cor 9:24). A sense of purpose, self-discipline and perseverance gives the stamina to keep going.

Biblical Examples of Diligence

Other examples from the Bible include: ants and a wise son that diligently gather food at harvest time (Prov 6:6-8, 10:5, 30:25); the diligent woman is exemplified for her forethought and industrious work habits (Prov 31:10-31); Rebecca and Ruth diligently undertook what was at their hand to do.

This resulted in their being noticed, which led to greater things in the economy of God as both married into the ancestral line of Jesus (Gen 24:14-20,66-67; Ruth 2:2-3, 4:13). David faithfully and attentively looked after the sheep, which included protecting them from predators. This experience, coupled with his faith in God, prepared him to conquer Goliath when the regular soldiers were incapacitated by fear (1 Sam 17:34-37,45-50).

Diligent effort pays off

This victory ultimately resulted in David becoming king. Joseph diligently applied himself to the tasks assigned him and came into his 'calling'. His story illustrates there can be a considerable time lapse between the 'dream' and the focused service is recognised so diligence needs to be paired with perseverance as Paul informed Timothy (Gen 37:5-11, 39:20-23, 41:40; 2 Tim 4:1-8).

Living a Diligent Spiritual Life

Paul had earlier urged Timothy to "be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress" (1 Tim 4:15). In the preceding verses the matters that Timothy was to be attentive to are identified. Those particularly important to each of us today is to identify (and so stay away from) false teachers, avoid unprofitable talk, and speak and live a godly lifestyle.

Our spiritual life is to be taken seriously. Jesus said, we are to take up our cross and follow Him and love God with every part of our being (Mk 8:34, 12:30).

Reflection and Application:

Reflect on areas of your life where you can demonstrate greater diligence and conscientiousness
Consider how guarding your heart influences your daily actions and decisions
Identify opportunities to "go the second mile" in your work and service to others
Examine biblical examples of diligence and apply their principles to your current circumstances