DILIGENT HANDS AT WORK (3)

“The lazy man does not roast what he took in hunting, but DILIGENCE is man’s precious possession” – Proverbs 12:27

DILIGENT HANDS at WORK are priceless possessions: “The lazy man does not roast what he took in hunting, but DILIGENCE is man’s precious possession” (Pro. 12:27). The slothful starts projects, but do not complete them. They may enjoy hunting, even though it is difficult and time-consuming, but they lose drive, energy, and focus when they get home and need to dress and process the meat taken. On the other hand, a diligent person finishes every job. He salvages all the meat and does not rest until it is neatly prepared and preserved. He knows that any game taken by hunting is a blessing, and he is sure to maximize it. He values every asset and invests all income wisely.

Hunters take pains to prepare for hunting. They sight rifles, scout land, secure a tree stand, carefully select clothing and equipment, rise while it is still cold and dark, carry their stand deep into the woods, fix it in a tree, and wait for the game. Having shot one, they rejoice with friends, field dress it, and drag it to their truck, where they proudly drive through town to the applause of friends. The slothful person may seem diligent this far. But on getting home, the energy disappears because there’s so much work to do on the carcass! So, he hands it over to the neighbour, throws it in a bin, leaves it to the dogs, or simply lets it rot. Then he orders a snack to relax after his hard day and takes a nap. He does not even clean his gun. What a waste! What a squandering of opportunity, effort, and resources!

The diligent person is different. He enjoys the hunt, but knows it’s for a purpose. He dresses, butchers, and processes every bit of meat for future use, and neatly labels and packages it for the wife’s convenient use. He carefully cleans his gun to preserve its value. He is thankful for the gift of the game, and works to take full advantage of the blessing. He eats of the day’s venison and shares it with his family for supper. What a difference! The slothful person cannot finish a project to discover the profit of labour; but the diligent sees the value in finishing every assignment and properly caring for every asset. Sloth is foolish, wasteful, and destructive. Diligence is wise, resourceful, and productive.

A slothful man and a wasteful man are brothers in a family going to financial ruin: “He who is slothful in his work is a brother to him who is a great destroyer” (Pro.18:9). But the Proverbs 12:27 man is both: His slothfulness caused him to waste God’s favour. The diligent person recognizes and seizes opportunities. God delights in those who value His resources of time, talents, treasures, and opportunities. The diligent person is dependable and will always put in an honest day's work. The slothful has little regard for what he possesses. His house is a mess. His space is cluttered. He does not take responsibility for adequately maintaining what he has. He looks for a way to do as little as possible.

There is the story of a man who received a sizable inheritance, lived grand for about a year, but made no provision or plans for the future. Suddenly he came to the tragic realization that his money supply was almost depleted, and he had little to show for what he had spent. He had not gone to the ant to learn the Wisdom of Diligence (Pro.6:6-11). The inner qualities of the diligent person are expressed in wise home and business practices, financial responsibility and devotion to work. Ruth was working as a farmhand when Boaz found her as wife. Elisha was ploughing his fields when Elijah hired him to be his assistant. Peter, James and John were fishing when Jesus chose them to be disciples. God calls people with a proven work ethic. Not once did Jesus call lazy people, or those sitting around waiting for their big break.