Diligence: Keeping Efforts Real

Introduction:

Welcome my friend,

It was only after our last conversation I realized it was the hundredth (100th) we've had here together, doing so each weekend but one, in the past couple years.

Truly, that's quite remarkable considering that there may not be so many other people we've spoken to for as much within the same period.

Thus, making this little thing we have going on here quite special.

Indeed, time does fly but we've flown with it using the opportunity to share some wisdom and truth in ways that don't condemn but rather inspire us to willingly and intentionally try to be better.

Hopefully, this is what this first hundred will be remembered for.

Also, on your part, you deserve as much credit as anyone else, for every time you showed up.

So, as we mark the beginning of this second century of conversations, we're reminded that the bedrock of our success thus far has been steadfastly being here for each other.

Thank you my friend.

Discussion:

It's only right that we get started with our featured story since it forms the basis for today's conversation.

Here, an older man is seen rewarding this young man that had worked under him for nine (9) years as part of his business establishment.

In doing this, he allowed him the chance to make any request, to which he asked to take over a significant aspect of the business.

The boss readily granted it, jokingly remarking that although he was greedy with his demand, he indeed deserved it for his loyalty and diligence through the years.

He also pointed out that despite the young man remaining there while some others came in, served and then left with their own share of rewards, he neither complained nor changed his good attitude towards his work.

In other words, he kept it real, giving his best to the grind.

This is what diligence is about.

■ What It Means To Be Diligent 

A diligent person is committed to their work showing concern about its success and progress such that they have no issues even going the extra mile with their efforts.

This is why loving what we do is an essential trait of all diligent people.

Sincerely, if our motivation for a job is the pay alone, it becomes difficult and frustrating to remain happy enough to give it our best especially when we feel we deserve a higher paycheck.

In doing what we love, we get better overtime from repetition and practice, setting us on the path of getting the recognition we now deserve.

■ What It Takes To Be Diligent

Aside from loving one's job, we also need to be humble enough to be teachable.

In truth, learning from a mentor is time saving because we can learn from them while avoiding some mistakes they made and what it cost them.

There's nothing wrong with being a pacesetter, creating our own path but when there are people before us that have left a trail, following it can be a faster way to our destination.

Diligence also requires discipline as we do what we have to do regardless of how we feel because we understand the responsibility that our work puts on us.

When we do a bad job it costs other people and for some of us in critical sectors like healthcare or justice, consequences can be grave, destroying another's life.

Another requirement of diligence is integrity without which greed holds us back from being accountable.

When we begin to manipulate numbers in any form for more financial benefits we set ourselves on the path of destruction, once the consequences of our actions eventually catch up with us.

Most importantly, for a diligent person there's an expectation of a selfless reward, desired for the sake of making things easier for others.

When we love the world around us enough to refuse to leave it the way it is, we find ourselves deriving joy from every little thing we do to improve it.

■ Some Oppositions To Our Diligence 

It's difficult to keep waiting when everyone else around us seems to be leaving us behind.

When the other folks came in and left with their own rewards, the young man must have been wondering why he was still there.

Yet many times the most loyal workers get overlooked a lot or are often given the hardest tasks.

Which is a difficult compliment to accept because we want to be treated the same as others with our rewards coming as fast.

Then when it does finally arrive, we understand that it had to have taken more time because it more than compensates for everything we've missed out on.

However, this also means maintaining the right attitude while at it.

Our behaviour as we wait is as important as the waiting itself.

We don't have to jeopardize the good work we already did as part of our protests for immediate rewards.

It's true that the temptation to act out of character may arise as we lose some of our motivation to remain diligent.

Yet, we must remind ourselves that sometimes we have to go through training in our little corner with no eyes on us, to prepare us for the bigger responsibilities, under much scrutiny.

Once we have this conviction we can stand firm when loved ones and naysayers alike question us on our decision to stay put when there's seemingly no visible progress.

■ The Rewards Of Our Diligence 

The biggest reward of our good job isn't what we get out of it but who we become for it.

When we pass through each stage of the process we learn how to enjoy our success without becoming overwhelmed by it.

Truth is, even our blessings become a curse when it meets us unprepared so that we no longer know how to behave.

Once we understand it this way we begin to look for ways to improve ourselves while waiting, well prepared to handle our success gracefully when it arrives.

■ Impacts Of Our Diligence 

To succeed against all odds simply because we kept giving our best makes us an inspiration to someone else wondering how it can be done.

We are here taking this lesson on diligence because we saw it work for some other person in our story and we want the same for ourselves.

This also means that when we've climbed up the ladder and are privileged to reward others, we should do so faithfully, without exploiting or belittling them.

When we work hard enough to succeed we become a channel for blessing the world around us.

■ The Ultimate Work

The reward of our diligence is dependent on who we're working for.

This is why what we do, where we do it, and who we do it for are important.

So let what we do always match the kind of rewards we're expecting, else, we end up doing too much and having too little.

God calls each and everyone of us to serve Him by using our abilities, gifts and talents to meet the needs of the world around us.

This isn't limited to church work because we spend only a little fraction of our time there; but extends to how well we do our job in our different vocations, workplaces and businesses.

It's about our commitment to do an honest job when no one is watching rather than sabotaging the work with half-heartedness because we have some grievances.

When we behave like this we're no longer working for God and will not be a part of His rewards.

Truth is, in doing our work diligently, we serve our purpose of sharing our light and pointing others to God by virtue of our excellence and He rewards us for this in many other ways than whatever our paycheck is.

Summary:

As believers we work for a kind and faithful master who has everything it takes to reward us.

When we feel that restlessness because we know that there's so much more that we can be in comparison to who we are, that's the divine call to give more to life as a way of getting more out of it.

To push ourselves to the limits, embracing discomforts, as a way of maximizing our potentials and fulfilling our purpose.

Once we get on this track, we are already halfway there and should just remain patient knowing that our time will surely come.

There's always a reward for diligence.

The best is reserved for folks that love the grind as much as its rewards.

Stay put.

Master Apprentice.

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