Daily Devotion Sun. 7/5/2017
7/5/2017 LESSON 10
FLEE LAZINESS, EMBRACE DILIGENCE
Quarter’s Theme: UNDERSTANDING BIBLICAL STEWARDSHIP
Unit 3: Pathway To Prosperity (Lessons 7-12)
Suggested Hymns: G.H.B. 114, 150
Devotional Reading: PROV. 6:6-11
Topic For Adults
GOD HATES INDOLENCE
Topic For Youths
DILIGENCE LEADS TO PROMINENCE
Topic For Intermediates
DON’T BE LAZY
Scripture Lesson
GEN. 2:1-8,15; 2 THESS. 3:6-15;
PROV. 22:29
(PRESERVATION AND CONSOLIDATION MONTH)
MEMORY VERSE
Do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before kings; He will not stand before unknown men. Prov. 22:29 (NKJV)
DAILY DEVOTIONAL READING
Sun. 7/5/2017
Diligence Leads To Excellence
Prov. 22:29
A lot of people could not succeed in their endeavours because they lack patience. Diligence is a constant and persistent effort to achieve a set goal or desire. The Bible says a man who is diligent in his business will stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men. The word ‘diligent’ has been interpreted in some Bible translations to mean: skilful, expert, skilled, and excellent. To become skilful or excellent in any business, you must learn the rudimentary skills and practise them diligently over time. It’s therefore not a haphazard or on-and-off approach but a persistent one. Hence, excellence in any venture comes with patience. That is why impatient people hardly do well in highly numerate subjects. As a matter of fact, it’s pretty difficult to do anything excellently without patience; whether you are a medical doctor, an auto mechanic, or a fashion designer. You’ve got to stuck in and diligently examine the facts and figures before you in order to come up with an excellent solution. With this attitude, you can maintain an open mind with the hope of trying out new ideas and doing it better each time.
POINT OF EMPHASIS: Diligence will bring you before kings, not before people of low rank.
PRAYER POINT: Oh Lord, help me to pay the price of my destined greatness.
BACKGROUND
“There is no royal road to learning, even if you’re from a royal family”. These were often the words of a principal at a local community high school to his students every morning as the pupils gathered on the assembly ground to observe their devotion before marching into their classes to start the day’s work. In this same vein, planning for the future and hard work in the present are the bases for life. The Bible admonishes us to study this principle from the ants. The way to greatness in any human endeavour is through diligence. Even if you are put on the winds of favour, you need hard work and diligence in order to continue to enjoy ‘the land flowing with milk and honey’. There is no shortcut neither is there a substitute for diligence. God set the example of diligence during creation and everyone who had affected their generation positively, as recorded in the Bible, had walked the same way. This, in addition to the rewards of diligence and the dangers of idleness, we shall examine in the lesson of today.
NOTES ON THE TEXT
PART 1: GOD SETS EXAMPLE OF DILIGENCE (GEN. 2: 1-8, 15)
God set the example of hard work during creation, working for six days before resting. God assigned the responsibility of dressing the garden He had planted to man. He could have allotted such a responsibility to angels but He didn’t. God did not send anybody into the world to remain idle. Even in the Garden of Eden, man still had to work. This is sharing a part of God’s attribute; rather than seeing it as punishment. The reason for engaging man in labour may not be far fetch; productive labour gives a sense of responsibility. It’s often said that there is dignity in labour. Adam couldn’t have been happy if he had been idle. God has given everything to work with and the earth to work upon. Work makes us stewards of God’s created world.
Jesus also set the example of hard work when, at the beginning of His ministry, he fasted for 40 days (Matt. 4:1 – 2). It takes diligence to be able to deliver the Beatitude, which covers Matthew chapters 5, 6 and 7, in a sitting! It took relentless efforts for Jesus to be able to fulfil His ministry in just three and a half years (Jn. 4: 33-42; 9:4), covering all the coast of Galilee with the gospel at the time when there were no faster means of transportation as we have!
Apostle Paul and others also followed the precedence of hard work and diligence in preaching the gospel, and in the pursuit of excellence in their businesses (1 Cor. 4:12; 1 Thess.2: 8-12). In 2 Thess. 3:10, Paul gave injunction to the brethren in Thessalonica that those who refused to work should not eat. These Christians had misunderstood Paul’s message about Christ’s eminent return, to the extent that some literarily withdraw from their secular job waiting for the rapture! With time they became busybodies, constituting nuisance and becoming burdens upon the church, against which Apostle Paul waded in swiftly to correct the misconception. That shows how God hates indolence. In fact, a servant who is faithfully awaiting the return of his Lord must be working as his Lord has commanded.
PART 2: THE DANGER OF IDLENESS (2 THESS. 3:6-15)
God knew the danger of having an idle man in the Garden of Eden. The human mind is a busy entity; if it’s not engaged in good works, it will be doing evil. If we are idle, the devil and sinful hearts will soon get us occupied. An idle hand is the devil’s workshop. Idleness will make someone to become a busybody in other men’s matter. This attitude was condemned among younger widows in Ephesus – a church in which Timothy was a Pastor (1Tim. 5:13). Idleness can make an able-bodied person to become dependant, thereby becoming a burden to the people around him (1Thess. 2:8-13). In most cases, idle fellows are avoided because no one likes to be a friend to burdensome people. Apostle Paul had to labour conscientiously in his tent-making business, alongside the preaching of the gospel, so that he may have enough to support himself and the church; hence, setting an example to the church and those who may want to use leadership positions for extortion. Idleness can lead to hunger (Prov. 19:15, 24). Labour is an essential part of our calling as Christians. Little wonder God commands that anyone who is capable of working but refuses to work should not eat. Idleness can make someone a beggar (Prov. 20: 4). An idle man who refuses to sow during sowing time will beg when harvest comes. The plan of God for us is to be great and become lenders to nations, not beggars. We need to vehemently resist every attempt of the devil to reduce us to the level of begging before we can meet our needs and those of our family members. Idleness leads to lack and want (Prov. 6:11; Eccl. 10:18). Poverty will make a man not to be able to defend the integrity of his property – the roof of his house will cave in and be leaking because he has no means to put it inorder. An idle Christian may find it difficult to provide for his household. The Bible says such a man is worse than an infidel, and thus has denied the faith (1 Tim. 5:8). Moreover, poverty in the life of an idle Christian can hinder others from accepting the gospel he preaches.
PART 3: REWARDS FOR DILIGENCE AND HARD WORK (PROV. 22: 29)
Hard work and industry are synonyms with diligence. Diligence is constant and persistent efforts to achieve a set goal or desire. Diligence will help you to make a proof of yourself in studying God’s word and living the Christian life (1Tim. 4:11-16; 2 Cor. 8:22). It takes some level of diligence and discipline for you to be able to study the Bible and other inspired Christian books. It’s doubtful that a lazy Christian will be able to live a triumphant life.
Diligence is required to inherit the kingdom of God (Heb. 6:9-12). To inherit the promised kingdom, patience and persistence are necessary requirements. All the legends of faith mentioned here demonstrated commendable diligence. As a matter of fact, diligence is a symbol of an undying faith in God’s promises; not a dead faith which is without diligent works. Remember Jesus’ parable in Matt. 25:26. The slothful servant, who would rather fold his hands in idleness, was thrown into the outer darkness. He missed the privilege of having his talent doubled as well as possessing the promised kingdom. Other than the lesson on talents versus individual ability that we often learn from this parable, God is showing us one of the reasons why some people remain poor while those that already have continue to have more. Some know how to leverage on the available information and the expertise of the brethren around them to make wise investment, while others don’t. Sometimes, indolence could be the reason behind passiveness and status quo – not willing to try a new business and resistant to changes. Yet, there are those who hide behind certain scriptural passages to justify their laziness.
The Bible says a man who is diligent in his business will take his place before kings, not among mean men (Prov. 22:29). Diligences brings wealth and abundance (Prov. 10:4-10; Prov. 21:5-11; 13:4). The hand of the diligent will bear rule (Prov. 12:24). Another benefit of hard work is that you become an encouragement to the idle people (1 Thess. 5:12-24). A diligent man is showing a good legacy to his children and followers (1 Cor. 4:12).
CONCLUSION
Christianity is not a cloak for slothfulness. Our God is diligent and industrious, and so must we too. Jesus Christ demonstrated unparalleled level of diligence during His earthly ministry as well as the early Apostles. Labour makes us to share a part of God’s attribute; rather than seeing it as punishment upon man. Even in the Garden of Eden, man still had to work. Adam couldn’t have been happy if he had been idle. We have seen in the lesson, some of the dangers of idleness and rewards of diligence. God has given us several abilities and He expects us to work diligently to make a proof of ourselves in our chosen careers and in the ministry He has entrusted into our hands. As stewards, we can’t afford to disappoint God because we will give account of our stewardship.
QUESTIONS
- How did God set example of diligence during creation?
- Mention five people in the Old Testament and five in the New Testament who were ordained or called into the ministry while they were on their duty post.
- Mention five consequences of being idle.
- List five rewards of diligence.
- Why do you think Jesus did not call people who were idle on the street to be His disciples?
