In the Bible, diligence means being steady and persevering with earnest, energetic effort. It means being persistent and focused on the task ahead. In II Peter 1:4, we have been given these precious promises so that we can experience the divine nature and escape the world’s corruption. In verse 5, Peter teaches us to be diligent about growing our faith. He then starts a list of things we need to be diligent about. Today we will seek to understand how to be diligent.
II Peter 1:4 “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”
II Peter 1:5 “And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge.”
Diligence requires steady perseverance. It is the opposite of being lazy. The Bible speaks often about laziness. Laziness has no place in a believer’s character. One of my favorite verses that motivates me to push forward is Colossians 3:23, which teaches us to work with all our heart as unto the Lord. Pursuing our spiritual lives in this manner leaves no room for laziness. It is not just pressing forward, but it is steady. Being diligent is not a sprint. It is a marathon that ends when we see Jesus.
Colossians 3:23 “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men.”
Being diligent means giving detailed attention. It means caring deeply about how to execute your duties or commands. This keeps us from doing things half-heartedly. It is about how we do our jobs, not just marking off another task as “done.” We must always remember that what we do, and how we do it, reflects on our Savior, who gave everything for us. In Romans 12:11, Paul links spiritual zeal with our daily work.
Romans 12:11 “Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord.”
Diligence must also be a heartfelt pursuit. In both the Greek and Hebrew, the root of the word often implies digging a trench or mining for gold. This implies that we must put in much effort as we zealously seek God with all our heart and strength. Jesus said in Mark 12:30 that we are to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. We must give every effort to obey this first and most important command. If you get this one right, everything else will fall into place.
Mark 12:30 “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.”
Until you determine that you will be diligent in your pursuit of God and His righteousness, you will often fail in your walk with Him. I often talk to Christians who struggle to have daily time with God. Their reading of His word is neglected because other things are pressing for their attention. They run the rat race of life, where it is consumed with the urgent instead of the important. Things and opportunities in this life take precedence over eternal things. Their world is upside down. Satan’s greatest tool to keep the Christian from following closely and making a difference for God is busyness. If he can put you on autopilot, where you’re missing your daily time alone with God, he can soon deceive you into thinking all is ok because God understands. He is robbing multitudes of the joy and blessings of being diligent in their walk with God. If he can’t keep you from being saved, and he can’t, the next best thing is to make you an ineffective Christian. This will also affect your testimony and may even convince others that they are okay with God because they are just like you!
It is examination time. Do you have a personal daily time in God’s Word? This is His love letter to you and your instruction manual for life. Can you imagine getting a job and ignoring the instructions on how to perform it? It is time for all of us, as believers, to assess our priorities and make sure God is number one on the list. Not just in words but in our actions, because God does understand. He understands that we have chosen the things of this world over Him. You can defend your actions and make excuses, but it does not change your neglect of loving Him first above everything else. He loved you enough to die for you. Do you love Him enough to live for Him? Today, diligently live for Him with purpose and direction that has eternity in view.
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