"Your Best Work"
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If you've ever asked your kid to clean their room, only to have them return a few minutes later claiming the job has been completed, you probably know a thing or two about diligence. "Is that your best work?" we'll ask our daughter. And usually, we know that the answer is, "No." Though we're not expecting perfection, if an important task is rushed or tackled half-heartedly, what's the point in doing it at all? But it's not just our little ones who struggle with putting in less than our best.
We're Cross Training to develop our fruitfulness, one of twelve marks of the Master we're working on this year. Fruitfulness comes when we're accountable, full of zeal, diligent workers, and good stewards of our blessings. So how do we take on God's great work today, giving it everything we've got?
What You Need to Know
Diligence means putting in our best effort. The Greek word translated "diligent" (2 Peter 1:10; 3:14), is also translated "endeavored" (1 Thess. 2:17), "strive" (Heb. 4:11), making "every effort" (2 Peter 3:15), and being "eager" (Gal. 2:10; Eph. 4:3). And four times, it's translated "do your best" (2 Tim. 2:15; 4:9, 21; Titus 3:12). It means to work hard, bringing intense effort and motivation (Louw-Nida).
The Book of Proverbs invites us to learn diligence by watching how ants work, toiling to prepare for the future, needing no boss watching over their shoulder to motivate them (Prov. 6:6-11). Proverbs says that a half-hearted job can wreck an endeavor (Prov. 18:9). So plan your work, laying the proper foundation before diving in (Prov. 24:27). And then work your plan, confident that success often follows "the plans of the diligent" (Prov. 21:5).
By faith, we hold to our confidence that God rewards those who diligently seek him (Heb. 11:6). We "make every effort" to mature and develop in virtue, "all the more diligent" as we recognize the confidence we can have as we grow (2 Peter 1:5-10). There's no coasting to eternal life; we have to "strive to enter that rest" ahead of us (Heb. 4:11). Though we don't earn our salvation by our good deeds (Eph. 2:8-9), this journey will require a wholehearted pursuit of the Lord and his holiness (Matt. 6:33; Heb. 12:14).
What You Need to Do
Bring sincere effort to all your tasks, big or small. As we look to identify jobs worthy of our heartiest commitment, both the Old and New Testaments use the word "whatever" (Eccl. 9:10; Col. 3:23-24). Ecclesiastes considers life's brevity and exhorts us not to waste a minute of it with half-hearted effort. "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going" (Eccl. 9:10). Paul adds that our reverence for Christ motivates a different kind of work, "not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men ..." (Col. 3:22-23). So whether it's a humble assignment at work or a major company initiative, whether a spiritual pursuit or a relationship, strive to do it well.
Diligently apply yourself to faithfully interpreting the Bible. "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth" (2 Tim. 2:15). God's Word deserves more than just casual reading. May we follow the example of Ezra, who "set his heart to study the Law of the LORD, and to do it and to teach" (Ezra 7:10). To "study" like Ezra means we "seek, inquire, consult ... learn information not previously known" (Swanson), and then we live it.
When your diligence wanes, remember why you work — and why your work matters. Indeed, it's interesting that the English word "diligence" comes from a Latin word (diligo), which means to love. That connection — now often forgotten — between love and work helps us see why Jacob's seven years of labor for Rachel felt like a few days (Gen. 29:20). Perhaps even the Greatest Commandment's emphasis on loving the Lord "with all your might" (Deut. 6:5) points to the effort and commitment we give when led by love. Ultimately, all labor has lasting meaning through Christ's resurrection (1 Cor. 15:54, 58).
Through the Week
- Read (Mon) — Matt. 9:35-38; Gal. 6:6-10; 2 Peter 1:3-11; 3:11-14; 2 Tim. 2:14-19
- Reflect (Tue) — How much of my time and attention are devoted to working for God?
- Request (Wed) — "Lord, May I never grow weary of doing good" (cf. Gal. 6:9).
- Respond (Thu) — Say "no" to something today so you're able to say "yes" to something spiritually productive.
- Reach Out (Fri) — How have you overcome the temptation to "phone it in"?
