Mensa Otabil - Be Diligent
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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, to be focused on your work and to be committed to the work. A person who is diligent approaches their work with passion and hard work, and that is the person that 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 that it 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 run away from situations because they' re hard, difficult, or seem 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'm going to 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 things may be hard and difficult, there is always an answer. Every question has an answer, and every problem has a solution. If you don't know it, someone else does. So if you don't know it, seek more knowledge. Talk to someone who's done it before; conduct research, make inquiries, and try to figure out how to do it. You can't solve problems solely by using what you know; sometimes you have to borrow from what other people know to help you achieve your goals. That is diligence. The entire 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 think, "Oh, it's all going to work out well because I've thought it through." No, a diligent person knows that no matter how well they plan, things will definitely go wrong. You must anticipate this. It's like playing a game of chess. When playing chess or any game involving strategy, you cannot just think about your moves. You must anticipate what your opponent will do. So when you make a certain move, you have to consider that this person has options to counteract in various ways. People sometimes make plans and think just because they've put it down on paper, it will work perfectly in real life. That's not how it works. A diligent person anticipates obstacles to their plans and works towards overcoming them.
And number four, a diligent person works hard to implement what they have set themselves to solve. When obstacles arise, they don't just give up and cry, saying, "Well, I tried it. It didn't work. Nobody likes me. Nobody supports me. " One thing you must know about life is that no one is obliged to encourage you. That's why David learned to encourage himself. If you're waiting for others to pat you on the back, lift you up, or cheer you on, you may be very disappointed. It's nice to have support, but life doesn't produce many of those people. Occasionally, you will have an encourager, but most of the time you will encounter 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 then implements what they have 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.