Fix It So You Can Flourish: Are You Diligent In Your Work?

    This week, let's consider the command found in 2 Timothy 2:15:

"Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth."

    We understand diligence to mean 'being careful and conscientious in our work' which shows a positive attitude toward the project/duty at hand. In researching the word 'diligent' I discovered that it comes from the the Old English word 'diligo,' which means 'to love.' Diligence means 'with love.' So the above verse can read, 'With love present yourself approved to God."

    When you love what you do, how careful are you to do your best and put your best effort forward? When you love the person for whom you are accomplishing this task/duty, how much conscientious thought do you put into everything you do? When you are motivated by love, great things are accomplished with ease and all tasks are completed joyfully (consider Jacob in Genesis 29:20)!

    When we love God we will want to know how to please Him (be approved to Him). How can we know how to please Him? By reading His Word!! Then, motivated by love for God, we will learn to love His instructions for us - all of them! When we love God and His Word we will read and study and flourish and have no need to be ashamed, because we will know His Word; we will know how to rightly divide [understand] it and apply it (Hebrews 5:12-14)!

    Now, with your understanding of diligence, read 2 Peter 1:5-10.

    Take note of verse 10: "...be even more diligent (do these things with even more love), to make your election sure (sounds like, 'approved to God' right?), for if you do these things you shall never stumble (again, similar to, 'no need to be ashamed', right?)..."

    We need to learn to increase our love for God to the point that we desire His instructions/commands and increase our love of doing the things God commands! God is worthy of our love and our obedience!

"For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome." (1 John 5:3 NKJV) 

Let love motivate your faithful service to Him all of your days!!

You can do it! So can I!!