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says, “Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.” Diligence means doing the right things to achieve a goal in an excellent, timely, and consistent manner. In , Bartimaeus didn’t only cry once; he kept crying until Jesus answered him. Likewise, the woman with the issue of blood kept pressing forward until she finally got to Jesus (). If you want to succeed at anything in life, you must be diligent and keep persevering despite obstacles.
I once gave a project to someone at the beginning of a year, and I intended to give him another one as soon as he was done. He was meant to complete the first project within three months; however, by September, he was still struggling to complete it, and there was no way I would have given him another one. God had opened a door of financial blessings to him, but he refused to be diligent.
In today’s Bible reading, Jesus told the parable of three servants who received talents from their master. Two of the servants were diligent, and they doubled what they received. When the master returned, he commended the two diligent servants and rewarded them handsomely. He said to them, “Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things:enter thou into the joy of thy lord.”
In the same parable, you also see the direct consequences of laziness. The servant with one talent hid it and refused to trade with it. The consequence of not being diligent was not only the loss of his talent but also sorrow for the rest of his life. While the diligent servant who started with five ended up with eleven, the lazy servant ended up with sorrow. Jesus said, “For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance:but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath” (). Anyone who has the virtue of diligence will have more, but those who lack this virtue will lose even what they have.
Beloved, diligence is powerful; it will position you for greatness and more abundance. Whatever you do according to God’s will, do it diligently with all your strength. Don’t delay, and don’t quit because of limitations or obstacles. I pray that God will reward your diligence