This week at Bible Study we talked about a word that has been in my prayers for what seems like an eternity, and that word, my friends, is diligence. The careful and persistent work or effort, diligence. Since Covid-19 has made its way to my corner of the planet it’s been tough to go from having what was once normal be swept away, to finally learning to adapt in some way, shape, or form, to have everything locked back down. The state of uncertainty that Covid has set in can make it easy for us to move in agreement with the winds which toss us back and forth, and sometimes, that can be really tiring. Ultimately, what I believe this pandemic has done, is show us many truths about ourselves. And one truth I discovered was that my perspective on diligence was all wrong. Diligence is a trait that is God-given, not a skill or ability to be attained.
In Second Peter, it says that we must be even more diligent to make our call and election sure, and in doing so we will never stumble (2 Pet. 1:10).
This means that diligence is proof of being set apart in Christ and shows God our dedication to the call He has placed on our lives.
Being diligent is something God has given to us to activate and grow through each life experience. In February of this year, I found myself asking God for diligence almost every single day. I thought that it was something I needed to be given and not something I already had; and because of that, I didn’t activate it to its fullest potential. The tasks before me were things I lost interest in the more time had gone on, and I found myself in states of frustration because I wanted them to just go away, but I would have to push through at some point.
During this time, I remembered something that my camp director always told us at the end of each meeting, “Start strong, and finish well”. Finishing well doesn’t always mean that you’ve stayed strong throughout the course of that season, but you do need to be diligent in order to finish well. You still have to be careful and persistent in your work. You still have to make an effort in order to finish well, even with the tasks before you that you may not like. The beauty in this is that through diligence we are being refined for the purpose God has given us, and with diligence, we exercise our faith more and more each day. God is aware of the season you’re in. He knows you’re procrastinating in completing that assignment.
He knows about that thing (or two) in your life that once was exciting and has now become mundane, and regardless of that, you and I, as children of God must display Him well, by our diligence in all that is before us.
Diligence adds to our faith (2 Pet. 1:5), and it produces peace in us because we will be without spot and blameless before Him (2 Pet. 3:14). Diligence erases every complaint, every (extra) nap you took, every conscious effort to avoid what was on your to-do list, and gives you the chance to trust God, yet again, with your everyday life. The truth is, we never really know how God plans to use each season to prepare us for what He already knows is coming, but we should trust Him anyway. Make sure that your diligence is evidence of how much you trust the Father to bring you through. Don’t lag in diligence, but be fervent in spirit, and glorify God through it (Rom. 12:10-11)!
