LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL
By Pastor Mensa Otabil
Wednesday 21st May 2025
BE DILIGENT
Scripture Reading: Proverbs 21:1-11
The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty, but those of everyone who is hasty, surely to poverty. Proverbs 21:5
The word ‘diligent’ means to be enthusiastic about your work. A diligent person approaches their assignment with passion and hard work. Sometimes the wise person is also called ‘diligent’.
1. A diligent person accepts challenges. To make progress in life, we must be ready to undertake tasks that stretch our skills and capabilities. That means that we don’t reject challenging assignments simply because of their difficulty. Even when we are asked to take up a new chore within our professional field, our initial response should be to accept the challenge. We must not be like those who first reject all unfamiliar tasks, whether hard or easy.
The enthusiasm with which we embrace difficulty helps us to approach it positively.
2. A diligent person develops solutions for problems. The wise man or woman understands that actions do not stand on their own. That is why successful companies and nations invest a lot in research. There is a direct link between an organisation’s quality of research and the quality of its results.
Diligence demands that we work meticulously to produce answers to the questions facing us. To do that, we look at what we are faced with from various points of view and scenarios.
3. A diligent person anticipates obstacles to their plans. One of the things wise people know is that our best intentions can come against unforeseen situations. They understand that every action will trigger a process of reactions. As a result, wise people do not just think about what they are doing; they also consider what will happen after they have done their part. In real-life situations, our plans do not usually go according to plan; someone or something will oppose our best intentions.
It is like playing a chess game – you don’t just think of your play; you also think about what will happen after you make your move.
4. A diligent person works hard to implement solutions. In the end, diligence helps us to see our good intentions through to the end. What we thought about and wrote about must become real.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, help me to be diligent in what I do. I commit to doing my work thoughtfully and thoroughly. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
