The virtue of diligence comes up throughout the Bible. In the Old Testament, God’s people are expected to obey the Lord’s commands (Deut. 6:17; Ps. 119:4) and teach them to their children (Deut. 6:7). Judges are to investigate matters diligently to discover the truth (Deut. 19:18), and parents are to use diligence in disciplining their children (Prov. 13:24). In 2 Peter, the apostle urges his readers to be diligent in making their calling and election sure (1:10). Where this idea comes up most is in wisdom literature, notably, the book of Proverbs. Diligence is a key to discovering wisdom (1:28; 8:17), gaining wealth (10:4; 12:27), gaining positions of authority (12:24), and avoiding poverty (13:4; 21:5).
Christians ought to be diligent in our duties, according to God’s wisdom. But what does that look like?
Diligence Works Hard
Every accomplishment costs you something. It costs time, energy, focus, and sacrifice. The athlete who trains, the worker who puts in the time to finish each task, the parent who prepares the house for hosting – all these require hard work. The fact that tasks are hard and require much of us is the reason so much goes undone. The laundry keeps piling up, to-do lists keep growing, a school project you had weeks to do is now due in a few days, and you just started. Diligence is the answer. It is giving yourself fully to a task and mastering your time, energy, and strength to accomplish something. It works against obstacles, setbacks, frustrations, handicaps, and low motivation. When the task is hard, only hard work will see it through to completion.
Work Carefully
If you are going through the effort to get something done, do a good job. Shoddy work is the product of half-effort, laziness, and low standards. Diligence says, ‘do a job well, if you are going to do it at all.’ Take your task seriously, whatever it is, however great or menial. Do it well for the glory of God and the good of others. “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might” (Ecc. 9:10). Direct your focus and attention to your task. Be fully present and intentional. Apply all your strength, knowledge, energy, and skill to your task.
Work until the Job’s Done
Know the value of finishing what you start. Not every task can be brought to completion, as there is always more that can be done. Generally, though, work until the task is done or at an appropriate stopping place. Often, you have to remind yourself that what you don’t complete either won’t get done or will fall on someone else’s plate. The goal isn’t to work hard for its own sake, but to achieve something through that hard work. Satisfaction comes when the job is completed and you can see the fruits of it. There is joy in accomplishment, when you have mowed the lawn, painted a wall, wrote a paper, completed a shift, finished the performance, etc.
God has given us all tasks and responsibilities to accomplish. Are you working diligently at yours? What are some areas or things you’ve left untended that diligence would bring to order and resolution? Get to it!
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