WISDOM FOR DILIGENCE (1)

“He who has a slack hand becomes poor, but the HAND of the DILIGENT makes rich” – Proverbs 10:4

A vital ingredient for Success in Life is WISDOM for DILIGENCE: “He who has a slack hand becomes poor, but the HAND of the DILIGENT makes rich. He who gathers in summer is a WISE SON; he who sleeps in harvest is a son who causes shame” (Pro.10: 4-5). The proverbs are clear that a lazy or slothful person will lose out in the end: “The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing; but the SOUL of the DILIGENT shall be made rich” (Pro.13:4). So, the hand of the diligent enriches the soul of the diligent! Diligence means careful and persistent work and effort, done at the right time. Our obedience to Proverbs 10:4-5 is not to turn us into workaholics. Sleep is not a bad thing – we’re designed to need to sleep. But sleeping at the wrong time is a bad thing. Diligence is doing the right work right when it needs to be done.

We apply this Wisdom to our lives by not procrastinating when there’s work to be done. Proverbs 6:6 says: “Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be WISE”!  Diligence however means more than working harder or working more. It’s doing the right work at the right time. How do we know what the right work is? How do we know what we should be doing right now? There’s so much we could be doing with time; it can be overwhelming. A practical wisdom is what is called Prayerful Planning: Prayerfully asking and receiving command on what to do right now (v.8). Perhaps we need to budget our time more carefully so we can be diligent about what God has called us to do. Prayerfulness in light of our biblical priorities will lead to godly diligence; aimlessness will lead to either slackness or purposeless busyness.

Wisdom for Diligence is largely about prioritizing. For Believers in Christ, what’s most important is to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind and strength (Mt.22:37). There is no wise diligence that doesn’t put God first. To put anything above our relationship with God is to be already off the mark. A second priority is to focus on our relationships with other people. Our Lord Jesus said also that the second greatest commandment is to love others (Mt.22:39). Everything that God has told us to do hangs on these two priorities: loving God and loving people.

The chief motivation for diligence is not personal prosperity, but the fear of the Lord! We are not to be known for slackness or just busyness – everyone can be busy. We should be known for distinctively Christian diligence, prayerfully asking in light of God’s Word: “What is the right work for this year of my life – for this month, this week, this day?” Then, we must get to do the right work right when it needs to be done!