This month, I will just post twice, with two brief discussions on diligence. Talk about a virtue-word that sounds antiquated…and one that is so easy to misconstrue. Yet, has there ever been a time when we needed a greater appreciation for diligent people–and a greater understanding of what diligence is?

Today, I will mention two people who reflected wisdom about this topic as WORK in their own lives, one in what he wrote and one in how he lived.

The first is King Solomon, said to be the wisest man who ever lived. In the annals of his wisdom recorded for us, we find a lot of helpful tidbits to describe the diligent worker. Here are a few. Such a person is willing to work steadily for a long time to reach his goal or earn his due (Prov. 21:5). He shows himself faithful and true in both his actions and his words while he does his work (Prov. 12:14). He (shock of all shocks) actually works and is not afraid to dive in (Prov. 14:23)! She doesn’t wait around for someone else to wait on her but she gets up and faces even the hard tasks with what strength God gives her (Prov. 31:17). His soul is well-fed, nourished and satisfied (Prov. 13:4).

Solomon knew these things and recorded them. But he was royalty, rich at material levels many of us can only dream of, even from his early years.

The second is a person known only as Timothy, a young man potentially raised primarily (or even only) by his mother and grandmother. Yet, years later, words written to him by a mentor paint a picture for us of the diligent man Timothy must have been. We see in him a person who sought to do his work at above-reproach levels and who paid close attention to his personal growth so that he could seek to always continue progressing (1 Tim. 4:15-16). And he earned the honor he received because he was not afraid to stand up and be an honorable example for others (1 Tim. 4:12, 5:17). All of this sprung out from that mentor’s early confidence in the diligent, honorable man Timothy could become with meaningful support. What (or rather who) the mentor diligently invested in gave a good return.

Timothy learned about these things and took them to heart. And, as we see that he lived them out while showing no particular signs of living with any great financial means, we are reminded from his life that diligence does not always lead to material wealth. But, when consistently pursued, it should lead to a fruitful and honorable life.