“Diligence - “Do We Really Need It?”
From the Desk of Apostle Dr. Thomas H. Lounsbury
As I was reading the book of Proverbs, a word jumped off the pages, time and time again. That word was “Diligent”. I thought I knew what the word meant, well, at least to me. I am also reading the book, “The Richest Man Who Ever Lived” by Stephen Scott. Guess what word kept popping up? I bet you can guess; Diligent. I’ve learned when God wants to get your attention, He really knows how to do it. He definitely got mine.
The Proverb that came to my mind was Proverbs 22:29 (NKJ), “Do you see a man diligent in his business? He shall stand before kings.” I read this verse, again, and again, and then again. The words were jumping off the pages into my mind and heart. I couldn’t shake them for a week, so I started to study the word Diligent. The dictionary states diligent this way: a persistent and hard-working effort in doing something, meticulousness, conscientiousness, thoroughness and carefulness. Upon reading the definition of diligent, I looked into the window of my soul and saw that I was diligent to a very small degree.
I wanted to see Proverbs 22:29 come to pass, in the sense, my King would be proud of me. I may never stand before a king in the natural, but I will, one day, stand before Christ. Diligence is a skill that can be easily learned by anyone, so I said to myself, “I am anyone, and I am teachable.” So, Jesus, bring it on. We all have a natural inclination to follow the path of least resistance, or we can choose to follow a path of greater resistance and become diligent in any endeavor, project, or goal. It is our decision. Let’s all make a good one.
The most successful man in the Old Testament deals with diligence. God uses him to pen statements such as; ‘He is in control of situations’ -Proverbs 12:24, ‘experience true fulfillment’ – Proverbs 13:4, ‘our needs satisfied’ – Proverbs 28:19, ‘ever-increasing success’ – Proberbs13:11, and ‘efforts will be profitable’ – Proverbs 14:23. The workable definition of diligent can be summed up as: is a learnable skill that combines creative persistence, a smart working effort rightly planned and rightly performed in a timely, efficient, and effective manner to attain a result that is pure and of the highest quality of excellence.
After I prayed for greater grace from the Lord, I discovered the four steps to bring diligence into our life.
#I – Wake up to reality. We think that we have more time than we really do to achieve our personal and professional goals. Do not procrastinate. Prov. 6:9-11 Take responsibility for your life, your attitudes, your values, and how you spend your time.
#II – Define your vision. When we gain a clear vision of what we want to do, and when we have a detailed plan to accomplish that vision; we will take the initiative and gain the diligence to accomplish it. Prov. 28:19
#III – Effectively partner. In any worthwhile endeavor, it’s impossible to be diligent without seeking outside counsel and effectively partnering. Prov. 15:22
#IV – Pursue wisdom, build your life upon its foundation. True wisdom is rarely found lying on the ground in plain view. Rather, it’s a treasure that must be searched out, and those seeking it, must often dig beneath the surface but it’s not a difficult pursuit. Prov. 16:16
My prayer is that this article has helped you in some way as it has me; to be diligent until we see the Lord, face to face. Real success in any area comes as we are honest with ourselves. When we find the treasure, we need to become a greater witness for the Lord. Our prayer, together as leaders, needs to be; “Help us Lord to do whatever it takes to become the diligent Pastors you need. Until we see You, face to face, keep us in Your care.”
God Bless You,
Dr. Thomas H. Lounsbury