By Ann Weaver
Diligence:
Careful and persistent work or effort.
(New Oxford American Dictionary)
When you hear the word diligent, what comes to mind? Hard work? Perseverance? Being tired?!
Diligence can be a difficult thing. It can easily feel like it takes too much work, too much time, and a lot of effort to cultivate. So why should we be diligent, if it’s all that work? What’s the point?
The first reason to cultivate diligence is because God speaks of diligence in His Word. Proverbs 12:24 tells us that “The hand of the diligent will rule…” and a few verses later in the 27th, that “…the precious possession of a man is diligence.” In Proverbs 21:5, it says that, “The plans of the diligent lead surely to advantage…”
On the other hand, in Proverbs 15:19, it warns that, “The way of the lazy is as a hedge of thorns…” Not a path we wish to go on, right?
In addition, being diligent and industrious will help the people around us. Just remembering to wipe down the sink after you wash dishes, to clean the bathroom every week, or to put the book away where you found it will truly assist others, whether you know it or not.
“But what if others aren’t doing their part?” it’s easy to ask. When this happens, it can be very easy to justify not doing our part either. But let’s remember that just because someone else is not doing what they are supposed to do, it does not excuse us from doing what we should. We want to mature and grow in responsibility so that we can do what we are supposed to do, without needing to be told - regardless of whether others are doing their part or not.
Of course, I do not mean to say that as if the other people should not be doing their work when you are doing yours. For example, let’s imagine younger siblings, if you have any. We can help them in learning diligence, and as older sisters, we can give them a great example to follow!
What are some ideas for keeping both our siblings and us diligent? Make it fun! You could put a fun song on and clean up as much as you can before time runs out. You could make it a game in accordance with whatever their new favorite thing to play is. You could even hold a competition to see who can keep up a new, good habit! (Don’t just be nice though and let your brother or sister win - you genuinely have to try!)
But what are some things to be diligent about? It seems most things fall into these three categories:
1: Establishing good habits.
Starting a habit and keeping it up takes diligence. Reading the bible every day, greeting our dad when he gets home from work, and keeping trash picked up are all some examples in this. Some habits can be harder to begin, but others can be surprisingly simple, but just need to be made a part of our daily lives. Good daily habits are worth cultivating and bring their own reward.
2: Putting away bad habits.
“Bad” habits may not always be necessarily bad, though sometimes they may be. Twisting your hair or biting your fingernails may not be bad in the moral sense- or in any other sense, for that matter. Perhaps it’s just something we don’t want to do anymore, or perhaps it really is something that we realize is morally bad. Either way, we must be just as diligent at removing a habit from our lives than adding one on, and probably more so! Haven’t you ever noticed that unlearning something can often be much harder than learning it? And here’s another tip: when we take away a bad habit, it can often help if we replace it with something good!
3: Maintaining present habits.
Do you keep your bathroom drawers organized at all times? Pray every night without fail for the people in your life? Write using beautiful handwriting? If so, let’s also be diligent in keeping up the good habits we have already acquired, even while we are trying to add or take away other routines we may have. Don’t slack! It’s no good to be diligent at learning how to sew if all the other good habits we’ve acquired, such as cleaning our room every week or reading our bible every morning, are thrown in the ditch. We have to be careful to watch out for negligence in here as we work in the other two areas!
Because diligence is difficult, how can we keep it up?
First, it’s important to recognize where we are not diligent. That is a huge step in the right direction. Then we can see where and how we can improve.
Secondly, finding motivation is a big help. Perhaps you can eat a piece of chocolate or listen to your favorite song after finishing a task. Setting personal goals and rewards can help a habit become normal, and soon you won’t need that reward to “make” you persist in learning or remembering it! (Though I have to admit that it’s always nice!)
Lastly and most importantly, ask God for His help. Pray for strength to pursue good habits and break bad ones, and for guidance on how. He is always faithful to give it!
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