God rewards DILIGENCE

This is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it. I hope you are as well. I would like to talk with you for a few moments today about the importance of diligence in a Christians life.

Some people are just lazy, which is why they never see anything accomplished with their lives. They blame their lack of success on this, that, and everything but themselves. But God is no respecter of persons. What He does for one, He will do for all. The key factors that make the difference are a person's level of determination and his or her willingness to do whatever is necessary to achieve a goal.

It may be a hard fact to face, but ultimately we are all responsible for our success or our lack of success. We all possess the same promises, the same faith, the same power, the same Spirit, and the same Jesus who sits at the right hand of God to make intercession for us (Hebrews 7:25). The main thing that determines who succeeds and who doesn't succeed is
attitude.

You have to want success in order to get it. It doesn't float on clouds, and it takes hard work to achieve it. Because most people are willing to do only average work, they reap average results. To achieve super results, one must do super work, be deeply committed to the task, and be willing to do whatever is necessary to realize goals and aspirations.

Hebrews 11:6 says that God "is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." According to this verse, even God rewards diligence. In fact, He only rewards those who diligently seek Him, which means people with a lazy, lethargic, do- nothing; "take-it-easy" attitude will never be greatly rewarded by the Lord. This verse says that God rewards the diligent seeker.

Rick Renner in "Sparkling Gems from the Greek" says that diligence is required for any success. The phrase "diligently seek" in Hebrews 11:6 is taken from the Greek word ekzeteo, and it carries an entire range of power-packed meanings. It means to zealously seek for something with all of one's heart, strength, and might. It presents the picture of one who seeks something so passionately and determinedly that he literally exhausts all his power in his search.

Because the word ekzeteo portrays such an earnest effort, the idea of being hard-working, attentive, busy, constant, and persistent in one's devotion to what he or she is doing is also included.

This tells us that Hebrews 11:6 means:
"God is a rewarder of those who put all their heart, strength, and might into seeking Him. Those who are so committed in their search that they are willing to exhaust all their natural powers in their search for Him — they are the ones who will find what they are seeking!"

You see, you have to be diligent to be rewarded by God, so it should be no surprise that diligence is going to be required in order for you to succeed in every sphere of life. It's just a fact that a lazy, neglectful attitude will never get you where you need to go. If you take your life assignment lightly — if you approach it with a casual, easygoing, take-it-easy, relaxed attitude — you'll never go far in the fulfillment of your call or dream. Live like a slug, and you'll eat dirt the rest of your life!

If you're serious about succeeding in life, you'll have to adjust your level of commitment and give your full attention to what God has called you to do. Diligence cannot be a sideline issue. Your assigned task must have your full consideration, your undivided attention, and your mental and spiritual concentration. You must immerse yourself in faith, prayer, and meditation regarding God's call on your life. Distractions are not allowed.

It takes hard work to achieve any goal, and complaining about that hard work won't make it any easier. So be constant in your commitment. Refuse to relent! Stay stubborn and unbending even in the face of opposition until your objective is achieved. Your consistency and determination will push the powers of hell aside and obtain the victory you desire! Blessings!

Pastor Rusty