Diligence. That’s a word the Lord has brought to my mind several times this past week. Webster’s online dictionary defines diligence as “steady, earnest, and energetic effort : devoted and painstaking work and application to accomplish an undertaking.” (www.merriam-webster.com) Hard work, dedication, consistency, and commitment are all wrapped up in the meaning of this word.
My dad is and has always been a worker. I’ve seen him work extremely difficult jobs at times because that was what he had to do to provide for our family. He instilled in me the importance of working hard and finishing the job you were tasked with completing. That’s a good value to have and one I hope to pass on to my children. We should all work hard and give our very best to whatever we do whether it’s a job, school, a hobby, or a relationship. I wonder, though, how often do we take that same approach to our work for the Lord?
Twice this week during a Bible study and a sermon I attended, 2 Timothy 2:15 was mentioned. In that verse, Paul encourages Timothy to “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who doesn’t need to be ashamed, correctly teaching the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15, HCSB). The emphasis here is that the worker should be diligent in his labors so that he will not be ashamed when his work is inspected.
God has a job for each of His children, and every job is important. It may be teaching the Word of God and shepherding a church as Timothy was called to do, or it may be a behind the scenes job that no one else sees. Whatever it is, we should be completely devoted to the work, giving painstaking effort and commitment to completing the task God has given us. If we serve the Lord with this type of commitment, we will not “need to be ashamed” when He inspects our work. We will one day be able to hear those beautiful words form our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, “Well done my good and faithful Servant.”
Sincerely,
Pastor Allen