Sermon Central
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When Diligence Becomes Hard Labour
Contributed by Kayode Omotoso on Oct 12, 2017 (message contributor)
Summary: Diligence is a virtue but when God is taken out of the picture, it becomes a liability characterized by vanity, sorrow, hard labour, restlessness, failure and poverty
Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep. Ps 127:1-2
Biblical Facts:
1. At every given opportunity, one must be hardworking, diligent and meticulous (Eccl 9:10). And one very good reason why we must do everything with all our might is because according to Galatians 6:7, the input determines the output.
2. The lazy hand makes poor but the diligent hand becomes rich (Pro 10:4). A lazy man becomes poor because he will not look out for opportunities and when he even has one, he will not explore it to the fullest whereas the diligent has directly opposite attributes and those open doors of riches to him.
It is therefore clear from the foregoing that either success or riches is not attributed to laziness but diligence. It is however noteworthy that diligence outside of God is nothing but pure hard labour. This is so because it is only the blessings and the gifts of God that make rich without being tainted with sorrow (Pro 10:22). No one receives anything except that which is given him from above and the only kind of gifts from above and from the Father of light is both good and perfect (Jhn 3:27; Jam 1:17).
Diligence is a virtue but when God is taken out of the picture, it becomes a liability characterized by vanity, sorrow, hard labour, restlessness, failure and poverty (Ps 127:1-2). No man or woman, old or young, white or black can make it, succeed or prevail in whatsoever by diligence, strength or hard work alone (1Sam 2:7-9).
Success and riches are good and perfect gifts and whoever will get or receive them must align him/herself with the dictates of God (Josh 1:8). No matter how diligent or meticulous one may be, he/she must delight him/herself in the law of the Lord before his/her diligence can be made to produce the corresponding result (Ps 37:4).
The diligent that does not trust in the Lord will neither be fruitful (Ps 1) nor be fulfilled or accomplished neither will he be joyful nor have any rest (Ps 127:1-2). A diligent man who God will exalt in due time must not be insubordinate; either of God or the authority He institutes (1Pet 5:6). Humility therefore is key to the productivity of diligence (Pro 22:4).
