DILIGENCE
INTRODUCTION:
Welcome to our wonderful year of favour! Our first Bible
Study Preparatory class with our Man of God in the year 2013 held on the 12th
of January. This Bible Study Outline has been developed for all leaders of the
Cell Ministry to serve as a guide for our Bible study meetings in the month of
February. The outline is on the subject of ‘Diligence’ as taught by our Man of God during the Bible study
class.
This outline
is in 4 parts. Part 1 explains what diligence means, the reason we need to
study the subject, and sheds light on some areas in which we can apply
diligence. Part 2 sheds light on different scriptures on diligence. Part 3 explains
the benefits of diligence and shows us an example of diligence from the life of
Jesus; while Part 4 sheds light on areas we should be diligent in, and teaches
us the advantages of diligence and consequences of indiligence.
All Bible
study class teachers and cell leaders are to ensure that their members have
their Bibles; all the Scriptures in the outline are read during the meeting;
and the members look into their Bibles while the Scriptures are read. In
addition, as clearly stated by our Man of God, don’t rush through the subject
as you teach; remember that our intention is to have every
member of the class understand the subject matter so that they can understand
what the Bible teaches on the subject, and can become acquainted with the
Scriptures.
TABLE OF CONTENT
- Diligence Part 1………………………….
3
- Diligence Part 2………………………….
8
- Diligence Part 3…………………………
12
- Diligence Part 4………………………… 16
PART 1
Introduction
At the end of this class each member should
understand:
- the meaning of diligence.
- the reason for studying on
diligence.
- different areas we can apply
diligence in.
The
meaning of diligence
Diligence
is conscientiousness in paying proper attention to a task, giving the degree of
care required in a particular situation.
It
can also be defined as the exercise of carefulness, persistence and
determination in any endeavour to achieve a determined goal.
Some
synonyms and antonyms of diligence are listed below:
Synonyms
of diligence are:
- Meticulousness
- Assiduousness
- Scrupulousness
- Conscientiousness
- Carefulness
- Thoroughness
- Attentiveness
- Persistence
- Industriousness
Also,
antonyms of diligence are:
- Indolence
- Carelessness
- Negligence
- Imprecision
- Inattentiveness
- Sloppiness
- Laziness
- Slothfulness
The
reason for studying on diligence
As
we study the Bible, we observe that there are some key words that God uses to
express His thoughts. When God uses these words, especially in key areas of
life, we should want to know what He is saying and study the subject matter. Diligence
is one of such important words.
We
will take a look at two scriptures to understand why we should study on
diligence:
Deuteronomy
6 v 6 & 7 (KJV)
V6
And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:
V7 and
thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when
thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou
liest down, and when thou riseth up.
God
instructed the children of Israel to teach their children the commandments diligently. He used the word
‘diligent’ in connection with the teaching of His Word. This tells us the importance of the word: ‘diligent’. God was not only
referring to what He wanted the children of Israel to do, He also told them how
He wanted them to do it; He wanted them to do it ‘diligently’. Not only were
the children of Israel to teach their children the commandments, God’s
instruction to them was for them to teach their children ‘diligently’. In relating
with the things of God, it matters if we are doing what He told us to do in
accordance with His will. God cares if we are doing something He has told us to
do diligently. It is therefore important to understand what diligence means.
Deuteronomy
6 v 1 7 (KJV)
V 17
Ye shall diligently keep the commandments of the Lord your God, and his
testimonies, and his statutes, which he hath commanded thee.
God
was not just telling them to keep the commandments, He told them to diligently keep the commandments.
In
the light of our definition of diligence, it means that in keeping God’s
commandment, we must be careful, persistent and determined. We must keep the
commandments of God assiduously and pay painstaking attention to doing so.
The
application of diligence
The
Word of God gives us instruction and guidance regarding diligence, and we are
to apply diligence in:
- Following
spiritual instructions.
- Our
vocations.
- Personal
Improvement; whatever our concerns are or whatever we want to give attention to.
These can be things having to do with our bodies, sports etc
God
measures progress and wants us to be progressive so he tells us what to do to
make such progress.
2 Corinthians
8:22
v22:
And we have sent with them our brother, whom we have oftentimes proved diligent
in many things, but now much more diligent, upon the great confidence which (I
have) in you.
Paul
said that the brother was diligent in many
things. He didn’t say he had been diligent in all things but in many
things.
1
Peter 5 v 2 (Msg)
v2:
Here’s my concern: that you care for God’s flock with all the diligence of a
shepherd…
2
Peter 1 v 5:
v5:
And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue and to virtue,
knowledge…
What
does all diligence mean?
All
diligence doesn’t mean that a person is diligent in all things rather it means
to put all effort in diligence. This is different from being diligent in all things.
2 Corinthians
8 v 7:
v7
Therefore, as ye abound in every faith, and utterance, and
knowledge, and all diligence, and your love to us, that you
abound in this grace also.
Though
the Apostle Paul was driving at the grace of giving in this Scripture, we can
learn that the people were diligent in everything they knew about as far as the
Apostle Paul was concerned and so he was bringing them a new teaching.
God
wants us to be diligent, He wants us to put some care, attention, persistence
and determination in the things that He tells us to do; in things that make
progress.
In
the world today, there are those who are successful in the things they do and
those who are not, but success is not an accident. It’s easy to be successful
because there are principles for success and we have been told the things to do
to be successful.
For
example as a student, you’re told that if you would attend the classes, follow
the lectures, do your studies and carry out your assignments, you are far more
likely to be successful than not. There would have to be some other problems
for you to fail.
God
tells us what to do, in His Word, to be successful. He shows us the choices to
make and never leaves us in doubt regarding what to do.
People
fail because of ignorance. Hosea 4 v 6: My people are destroyed for
lack of knowledge.....’
The
lack of knowledge in the Scripture above is ignorance. The context shows that
the people rejected knowledge; they turned away their ears. That’s what happens
to a lot of people; they harden their heart and are not listening yet they
could be very successful in any endeavour.
God
always wants us to be successful; He is successful in everything and wants us
to be that way.
Discussion question:
- Is there a
difference between diligence and faithfulness?
Answer to
discussion question
Yes, there is a difference between faithfulness and diligence. Diligence
is one of the qualifications of a faithful person though it’s not all that is
required in faithfulness. Faithfulness is more encompassing and is a more
general subject. However, anyone who is truly faithful must be diligent because
a faithful person will exercise diligence. Before a person can be said to be
faithful, he must have been diligent which means that diligence would have been
part of his faithfulness. If a person is not diligent, he cannot be said to be
faithful.
PART 2
Introduction
At the end of this class each member should:
- Be acquainted with some
scriptures on diligence
- Understand how to guard his
her heart with all diligence
- Understand what he /she must
do to make his / her calling and election sure
Study scriptures on diligence
We’ll
take time out to look into some scriptures that will throw more light on the
subject of diligence:
Proverbs
4 v 23: Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it the
issues of life.
Proverbs
4 v 23 (Amp): Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that
you guard for out of it flow the springs of life.
The
phrase ‘with all vigilance and above all that you guard’ means that we have to
employ all diligence; all the diligence we can muster.
What
does ‘....
for out of it flow the springs of life’ in Proverbs 4 v 23 mean?
God
is telling us here that all the things He has planned for us, everything
connected with our lives, is deposited in our spirits; our hearts. For example,
think about an orange seed, it carries all the potentials of the orange tree.
Although it looks really small, it has all the potential of the tree, and once
it is put in the right environment, it will produce the roots, stem, branches, leaves
and finally many fruits with many seeds in them. All of these potentials are
programmed into that little white orange seed. That’s amazing; now God tells us
to diligently guard our hearts, because there are things that could come into our
hearts and change or destroy the programming and there are things that can come
into our hearts and enable the programming of God to be carried out to
fruition. God’s purpose for your life is programmed into your heart; everything
you could ever be, every where you could ever go, everything you would ever do to
please God in your life is programmed into your heart (your spirit). God then gives us the responsibility to mount
guard over our hearts and He told us to do it with all diligence; with everything we can do about it.
We
shouldn’t allow wrong things come into our hearts. God told us to guard our
hearts because problems can come through thoughts and the mind is the door way
to the spirit, therefore, you have to mount guard at the door, which is your
mind, over any information that is going to get into your spirit. It matters
how you think, what thoughts come to you, what things you see and what you read
or watch because all these are things that can bring information to your mind.
How should you mount guard over your heart?
You
mount guard over your heart by not allowing yourself to dwell on anything that
is inconsistent with the Word of God; by not allowing your heart to accept
thoughts and imaginations that are inconsistent with the nature, will and
purpose of God.
The
nature, will and purpose of God are revealed in His Word. We must therefore
know the Word of God. Hosea
4 v 6: My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.....’ In this
verse, God is not talking about the knowledge of science and chemistry but
about the knowledge of His Word because this reveals the knowledge of God’s
nature, will, and purpose to us.
This
means that God’s people can fail if they are ignorant. Mark 7 v 13: ‘Making the word of
God of none effect through your tradition...’ People living according
to the traditions of men can make the Word of God of none effect. They short
circuit the Word of God in their lives, making it unproductive. God’s Word
always has power but it loses its effectiveness in the life of the one who uses
human traditions, information or knowledge to evaluate it. When we know the Word,
it becomes our control system for checking whatever information we get and for
stopping those things that are inconsistent with God’s will, nature, and
purpose.
How to be productive
2
Peter 1 v 10: ‘Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your
calling and election sure, for if you do these things you shall never fall’.
2
Peter 1 v 8: ‘For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye
shall neither be barren or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ’
In 2
Peter 1 v 8 we learn how to always be productive and have results. Also from
this scripture, we can see that our efforts are ruled out; we don’t have to try
to make ourselves fruitful: ‘if these things be in you, and abound, they
make you...’
If
these things be in you, and abound, they make you not to be barren and they
make you not to be unfruitful. All you need is to have all the things the
Word talked about in you.
2
Peter 1 v 10: ‘Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your
calling and election sure, for if you do these things you shall never fall’.
In
the scripture above we are required to make some effort: “...if you do these things you
shall never fall’.
How do we give diligence to make our calling and election
sure?
We
give diligence to make our calling and election sure by mounting guard over our
hearts. God has called, elected and chosen us for a purpose and for that
purpose to be established and fulfilled in our lives, we must mount guard over
our hearts with all diligence; not allowing just anything to come in or
allowing ourselves to think just any thought. We must learn to say no to
contrary thoughts and control our minds with the Word.
For
example, there are people who get angry about something and allow themselves to
continue being angry about the same subject for a long time, yet the bible says
‘don’t
let the sun go down upon your anger’ (Ephesians 4 v 26). This means you
should deal with the anger within the same day. Don’t come back the next day still
angry about the same thing. But when they don’t do that, anger takes a hold of
their spirits and the demon of anger comes into their hearts and gets
accommodated. They then wonder why their lives have become a mess. Refuse to
give expression to satan’s manipulations and to his character; don’t let him
find vent through you.
God
wants us to exercise carefulness, persistence and determination in achieving a
goal. He tells us to be diligent to make our calling and election sure. You
might be praying to God to make you fulfill His purpose but God says He wants
you to be diligent to fulfil it; there are things you must do and He has told
us what they are.
Discussion Questions:
- How can I
inspire others to be diligent?
- How do you
culture your spirit to be diligent?
Answers to
Discussion Questions
- You inspire
diligence in others by leading as a diligent person. If you are diligent you
can spread diligence. Be successful and others will definitely want to be like
you; become an example because God wants to point at you for others to see.
- You culture your spirit to be diligent through
practice. The Word of God is for doing. You have to meditate and work the Word;
the blessing of God’s Word is for those who do it. It’s the doers of the Word
of God that are blessed. You culture your spirit for diligence by making
yourself do it; practice being diligent. For example if you had been going to
work late, make up your mind to start resuming early. If you have been going
late to church, it means you’re indiligent, so change and start going early.
Don’t manifest indiligence in church. If you’re truly a diligent person, you’ll
be diligent at work and in church because diligence would be part of your
personality. Plan rightly, make painstaking effort in achieving your goal and
do the things you’re supposed to do.
PART 3
Introduction
At the end of this class each member should:
- Be acquainted with more
scriptures on diligence
- Understand what happens when
we are diligent in any endeavor
- Learn from the example of
Christ, who was the embodiment of all diligence, and was diligent in all
things.
What happens when we are diligent in any endeavor?
Proverbs
12 v 24: ‘The hand of the diligent shall bear rule: but the slothful shall be
under tribute’.
Proverbs
12 v 24 (CEV): ‘Work hard, and you will be a leader; be lazy, and you will end
up a slave’.
Remember
that slothfulness is one of the antonyms of diligence; one who is not diligent
is therefore slothful. Irrespective of the area of life: football, teaching,
politics etc if you work hard, you’ll be a leader. It means you’ll be a
champion and will be at the top of your field.
‘Work
hard’ in Proverbs 12 v 24 means to be diligent in
whatever is required to be done in that field or subject. Being a slave doesn’t
mean one will be a slave to another person but it means to be a slave to a
system. This means to be hemmed in, in life. If you don’t choose what you want
you are going to have to stay with what you get; that’s the way life is. The
diligent person will have authority and will be in control but the lazy one
will be under tribute. We make the choices in life.
Learn
to be diligent at work and in whatever field you’re in; be diligent in whatever
you do whether you’re a student, journalist, teacher, news correspondent etc.
Make the choice to be diligent in anything you want to achieve.
Proverbs
22 v 29: ‘Seest thou a man diligent in his business? He shall stand before
kings; he shall not stand before mean men’
A diligent
man will stand tall among kings; he’ll walk among them. He will be known among
kings and not among obscure men. God cares about what happens to you as His
child. He cares about the life that you live and the results that you get so be
diligent in your business.
In
being diligent, it’s important to know the tools you are going to need to be
the man or woman that you dream to be; what are you going to do to achieve your
dreams and goals? Once you outline what you need to do to achieve your dreams,
you must be diligent to do them. This can also be in simple areas such as:
putting off or putting on weight, in your health, exercising for fitness etc;
you need to outline what you’re going to do and how you are going to follow it
through. It’s about diligence. Are you going to make improvements on your job?
And what will you do to make the improvements? Will you be diligent?
Remember
that diligence refers to a careful, persistent and determined action, to
achieve a definite purpose. In John 4 v 34, we see that Jesus was diligent:
John
4 v 34: ‘Jesus saith unto them, my meat is to do the will of him that sent me,
and to finish his work’
Jesus
said that His food is to “do the will, the pleasure of Him that sent Him, and
to accomplish and completely finish His work.”
Jesus
wasn’t just doing the will of God, He wanted to complete it. There are people
who never complete projects; they stop half way and never get their work
completed. Imagine if the Gospel brought to us was not completed. On the cross
Jesus said ‘it is finished’. He completed His work and now, the gospel is
available and men are saved. If He hadn’t completed it, our salvation would
have never been consummated, but He finished His work and at the end He said
‘it is finished’, and then gave up the ghost.
Jesus
was diligent and lived in such a way to fulfil the Father’s will; He knew His purpose
and His focus was on the Father’s will. Diligence is so important for the child
of God. We’re supposed to copy Jesus and the Bible says for us to follow in His
steps; act like Him. Jesus was diligent and we should be too.
If
you’re always going late to work it means you are not diligent, because there
is a time for resumption at work and you don’t comply. Whether you run your own
business or you work in someone’s company or for the government, the Word of
God says you shall stand before kings and not before mean men if you’re diligent;
but if you are not diligent, He says you’ll be under tribute.
How
diligent are you in the work of God, in the cell system, in studying the Word of
God and in praying? Samuel the prophet said: ‘…God forbid that I should sin
against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you’ (1 Samuel 12 v 23). He
realized that not to pray for God’s people was a sin.
Diligence is a quality of the human spirit and it’s
not enough to be diligent in some things, God’s goal is for you to be diligent
as a person, in all things. Diligence employs commitment and perseverance to
transform vision into reality. And now as you’re learning the word on
diligence, the seeds of diligence are being sown in your life because the Word
of God has the capacity to produce in you, what it talks about.
As you’re hearing the Word on diligence, faith is
stirred in you to actuate it. The seed
is being sown now in your spirit and the question is whether you’re going to
let it produce results. If you start walking in the light of what you’re being
taught on diligence, then you’re letting the Word gain pre-eminence and allowing
it have the ascendancy in your spirit. This will cause you to manifest wisdom
in every way.
Remember that the Word says that ‘the hand of the
diligent shall bear rule but the slothful shall be under tribute’ - this is a
spiritual law in the kingdom of God. Irrespective of your place, rank or what
you do, diligence will take you into a place of authority while slothfulness
will put you under the task master; under forced labor. It doesn’t matter that
you’re gifted; if you’re not diligent to utilize your gift properly it’ll be a
mess. There are so many people that are gifted in so many things in life, but
they’re slaves to the system; they are failures in life, not because they were
not gifted but because they were indiligent.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
- Is it
possible to be over diligent?
- What if
you’re diligent but your diligence doesn’t seem to be encouraged by your boss
or organization?
ANSWERS TO DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
- No, you cannot be over diligent; it’s like asking
if one can be over good; you can’t be over good.
- Diligence is the quality of your personality. It’s
a quality of your spirit so you don’t become diligent because they like you at
work or because there are good incentives. Diligence is your person, it is the
quality of your character. God requires it of you, not your boss. It’s a
principle in the kingdom of God; if you become a diligent person, there are not
enough people who hate you enough to keep you from coming to the top. But if
you’ll give up your diligence because your boss has problems with you, and
become slothful, the principle will work against you - the slothful will be
under tribute, it means you’ll fail. God’s Word is spiritual law. ‘Proverbs
10 v 4-5 – he becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand …’ this is
the future of some people. They are not yet poor but they are going to be
because they are dealing with a slack hand, it’s a spiritual principle.
Diligent people are the ones who make their companies prosper, so remain
diligent irrespective of what anyone thinks of you.
PART 4
Introduction
At the end of this class each member should:
- Be acquainted with more
scriptures on diligence
- Have an understanding of
some areas to be diligent in
- Know the advantages of
diligence and consequences of indiligence
The
book of proverbs is very good for studying the subject of diligence because it
was written by Solomon who was a very successful man. God made him the wisest man that lived until
Jesus.
Proverbs
13 v 4: "The soul of the sluggard desireth, and (hath) nothing: but the
soul of the diligent shall be made fat".
This
means that the appetite of the sluggard craves and gets nothing. He wants to
have but God says, by spiritual law, that he shall have nothing.
1 Peter
5 v 2: "Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight
(thereof), not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a
ready mind; Neither as being lords over God’s heritage but being ensamples to
the flock.
1
Peter 5 v 2 (MSG): "Here is my concern that you care
for God's people with all the diligence of a shepherd. Not because you have to,
but because you want to please God. Not calculating what you can get out of it,
but acting spontaneously.
This
scripture should mean something to you. There are several examples of diligent
men in the scriptures such as:
- Paul:
1 Timothy 1 v 11 & 12
1
timothy 1 v 11: ‘11According to the glorious gospel of the blessed
God, which was committed to my trust. 12And I thank Christ Jesus our
Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the
ministry;
God
counted Paul faithful and put him in the ministry. It was then up to Paul to
act according to God’s image of him. God has an image of you but are you going
to live according to His image of you? He has counted you faithful and given
you a responsibility. Are you going to act according to what God thought about
you or are you going to spoil the programming of your spirit? You were
programmed to be a diligent and faithful person. Mount guard over your heart
and make up your mind to be a diligent and faithful person in whatever
responsibility you’re given because God has counted you faithful.
- Moses:
The Bible says that Moses was faithful
in all His house. He was therefore diligent because one cannot be faithful
without being diligent.
Hebrews
3 v 1-2: ‘1Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly
calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus; 2Who
was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house.
Also in Hebrews 3 v 5: 5And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a
servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after
The
quality of your spirit matters. God is not looking out to see whether you’re going
to be a faithful person or not. What He does is to make you faithful by
depositing the quality of faithfulness within you. Diligence is one of the
things that faithfulness makes possible in your life; it is an attribute of
faithfulness.
God
has chosen us to be faithful. The Christ life in us is one of faithfulness so
refuse to be unfaithful and indiligent, but rather be trusted to do things
right.
Areas to be diligent in:
We
are to be diligent in the following areas:
- Christian conduct: Diligence
in Christian conduct includes being diligent:
- In prayer: 1Thessolians 5 v
17; James 5 v 16; 1 Timothy 2 v 1
- In studying the Word: 2
Timothy 2 v 15
- In the ministry of
reconciliation: 2 Corinthians 5 v 17. We have to preach the Word and share the
gospel with others to bring them to Christ. We must be diligent in winning
souls. Jesus said ‘...hPeace
be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send
I you’ (John 20 v 21)
- In fellowshipping with other
believers of the same mind: Hebrews 10 v 24-25.
We must be diligent in attending meetings and
fellowshipping with other believers. Our Christian growth is enhanced through
fellowship.
- Diligence in fulfilling your
purpose: 2 Peter 1 v 10; Hebrews 6 v 12
Jesus
is the best example of someone who was diligent in fulfilling his purpose: John
4 v 34: ‘Jesus saith unto them, my meat is to do the will of him that sent me,
and to finish his work’. Jesus fulfilled His purpose. Paul is another
example of one who fulfilled his purpose, so much so that in 2 Timothy 4:7, he
said, “…I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept
the faith…” He knew he had completed his work. In Hebrews 6 v 12, we
are encouraged to follow those who are good examples; those who are making a
success of their spiritual lives.
- Diligence in duty and
service: Proverbs 10 v 4; Proverbs 22 v 29.
Be
diligent in your duty and service. A bad boss shouldn't change your character.
Jacob is an example of someone who had a bad boss: his uncle who cheated him and
changed his wages 10 times (Genesis 31 v 38 - 43). In spite of all his uncle
did to him, Jacob remained diligent. He didn’t change his character because his
boss was bad. He remained faithful and served God as he should, and served his
boss right, even though his boss was a cheat. Can you say that you have been consistently
diligent on your job? Diligence is something you find with people raised by God
for excellence.
Advantages of being diligent
Some
advantages of diligence are:
- God rewards diligence.
- Diligence brings the
blessings of God to your life.
- Diligence brings favour.
- Diligence brings promotion.
- Diligence brings wealth.
- Diligence makes you excellent.
Consequences of being indiligent
Indiligent
brings:
- Disfavor.
- Poverty.
- Fear.
- Disgrace.
Personal Questions
Here are a few questions for your personal
attention in connection with the subject of diligence:
- Have you been diligent in
prayer?
- Have you been diligent in
the Word?
- Have you been diligent in
ministry?
- Have you been diligent in
giving and tithing?
- Have you been diligent in
your job at work or in your business?
- Have you been diligent in
attending training programs, classes, lectures etc?
Lessons Learnt:
Some lessons learnt from the beginning of this study are:
Diligence
is conscientiousness in paying proper attention to a task, giving the degree of
care required in a particular situation. It is the exercise of carefulness,
persistence and determination in any endeavour to achieve a determined goal.
God
wants us to be diligent, He wants us to put some care, attention, persistence
and determination in the things that He tells us to do; in things that make
progress.
We
give diligence to make our calling and election sure by mounting guard over our
hearts. God has called, elected and chosen us for a purpose and for that
purpose to be established and fulfilled in our lives, we must mount guard over
our hearts with all diligence; not allowing just anything come in or allowing
ourselves to think just any thought. We must learn to say no to contrary
thoughts and control our minds with the Word.
You
mount guard over your heart by not allowing yourself to dwell on anything
that’s inconsistent with the Word of God, and not allowing your heart to accept
thoughts and imaginations that are inconsistent with the nature, will and
purpose of God.
Everything
you need to live the life that God has given you is going to come from your
heart, and if you change God’s programming for your life, by allowing the wrong
information come into your spirit, you would become somebody else and will live
a life different from what God planned for you.
A
