Mensa Otabil - The Diligent Person
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Today I’m talking about the diligent person, and we’re looking at Proverbs chapter 21, verse 5. The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty, but those of everyone who is hasty lead surely to poverty. So, what does it mean to be diligent? Diligence means to be enthusiastic about your work and to be methodical, focused on your tasks and committed to the work. A diligent person approaches their work with passion and hard work, and that is the person the Bible says will surely lead to plenty.
Many times in the Bible, the wise person is also called a diligent person. There are four things about a diligent person that I want to share with you, and I hope this helps all of us to be diligent in what we do. The first thing is that a diligent person accepts challenges. It is the mark of wisdom for a person to accept challenges. When a person is diligent, they don’t shy away from a situation because it’s hard, difficult, or seems impossible. Some people disqualify themselves before they even try.
To be diligent is to approach a challenge with enthusiasm, to set out and say, «I’m going to do it. It’s hard, but I will do it.» That’s the first thing about a diligent person-they accept challenges. Secondly, a diligent person designs solutions for problems. They understand that while challenges are hard and difficult, they also have answers. Every question has an answer; every problem has a solution. If you don’t know it, someone else does. If you don’t have the answer, seek more knowledge. Talk to someone who has done it before. Conduct research, make inquiries, and try to figure out how to do it. You can’t solve problems solely with what you know; sometimes you have to draw from what others know to help you achieve your goals, and that is diligence. Even the whole process of research, reading, and learning is part of diligence. You must be a person who looks for solutions to problems-that’s diligence.
Thirdly, a diligent person anticipates obstacles to their plans. When a person is diligent, they don’t just sit down, make a plan, and assume everything will work out well just because they’ve thought it through. A diligent person knows that no matter how good their planning is, something will inevitably go wrong-it just will. You have to anticipate it. It’s like playing a game of chess or any game that requires strategy. You can’t just consider your own moves; you must anticipate what your opponent will do.
So, when you make a certain move, you must anticipate that this person has options to counteract your strategy. There are those who create plans and believe that because they look good on paper, they will work well in real life, but that’s not how it works. A diligent person anticipates obstacles to their plans and works through them.
The fourth point is that a diligent person works hard to implement what they have set out to solve. When obstacles arise, they don’t just give up and say, «Well, I tried, and it didn’t work. Nobody likes me; nobody supports or encourages me.» One thing you have to understand about life is that nobody is obliged to encourage you. That’s why David learned to encourage himself. If you’re waiting for people to pat you on the back, lift you up, or urge you on, you may be very disappointed. It’s good if you have encouragers, but life doesn’t provide many of those people. Once in a while, you’ll come across someone who encourages you, but most of the time you’ll be surrounded by discouragers. All of us must navigate through discouragement, and that requires diligence.
A diligent person accepts challenges, develops solutions to problems, anticipates obstacles to their plans, and implements what they set out to do. You are a diligent person; I can see that. Be diligent for the Lord. Let’s pray. Say with me, «Heavenly Father, help me to be diligent in all that I do. I commit to doing my work thoughtfully and thoroughly. In Jesus' name, amen and amen.» Well, I’ll catch you again tomorrow. I’m Pastor Mensa Otabil. Shalom, peace, and life to you.