Diligence, Excellence, Faith and Discovering Your Purpose

Well over 15 years ago, I learnt a lesson in diligence/excellence that has stuck with me ever since. Once upon a time, my father hired a builder to lay the interlocking stones of his compound. Upon inspecting the completed job, he was very dissatisfied, so he instructed the builder to remove all the stones and re-lay them, this time paying attention to doing it exactly as he wanted. My father was so insistent that this was done right that this time, he frequently inspected the ongoing work till it was properly completed. You might be wondering, why he was so particular about this? You see, where we lived was a land-filled neighbourhood, implying that it was also prone to flooding. In my father’s foresight, he believed two things: firstly, that in building a house here, you need to elevate it much higher than the street level; and secondly, that the land should tilt downwards towards the street level so that if/when it floods, there is a natural drainage that allows the waters to flow easier out of the compound than stay within. The potential cost of making this single land grading mistake or permitting this oversight at the beginning was too costly for him to allow.

My mother was a business woman. Growing up as a child, I watched her wake up super early every day to go attend to her business, prepare us for school and deal with other matters of the home. She would be up as early as 4am to beat the rush hour traffic and ensure that she got to the market before it opened. This also meant that we often got to school much earlier than other kids. For her, there were almost no lazy days. I believe her diligence in business played an immense role in her successes and how the family was provided for.

I’m giving this context because in my ruminations as an adult, I’ve oft wondered where in my upbringing I may have observed the habits of diligence and excellence at play, as I’ve grown significantly more aware of their power in transforming almost anyone’s life.

How Diligence/Excellence and Faith Can Lead You To Discovering Your Purpose

To bring this home, we will look at a story you’ve probably never thought about this way before. It is that of Saul in 1 Samuel 9 and how a combination of his diligence in the small things, and faith – despite his natural inclination to give up – combined to lead him to the doorpost of his purpose i.e. to become the first King of Israel.

Saul was the most handsome man in Israel. He stood head and shoulders taller than anyone else in the land. We know that he hid behind the baggage when he was announced as the next King of Israel, but we don’t explicitly know if this was because he was shy or afraid/anxious, or just reluctant to assume the role. We may however be able to deduce that Saul had some level of humility because when Prophet Samuel told him that his family was “the focus of all Israel’s hopes”, Saul responded that he was from “the smallest tribe” (Benjamin) and his family was “the least important” of the tribe. How could his family have been the least important when he was a rich kid – the son of a wealthy, influential man?

Now, 1 Samuel 9 tells the story of Saul at 30 years old, before he was appointed King of Israel. The story is about his obedience to a simple instruction from his father – to take a servant and go search for the missing donkeys. Saul could have disobeyed. I mean, he was a rich kid, so could easily have sent the servants to go search for missing donkeys instead. He could also have had other interesting or recreational things to do. But in this ask from his father, Saul obeyed. In the searching, their efforts were futile and by late afternoon/early evening, Saul was more concerned that his father would be more worried about their safety than success in finding the donkeys, so he wanted to return home.

If Saul had given up and returned home, whether due to fatigue or laziness or concern for his father, he would have missed what God had gone ahead to plan for him. This is because literally the previous day, God had told Prophet Samuel that the next day, He was sending him the man who would be anointed King of Israel. But God knew that Saul would have given up if he went on that journey alone, so He provided him with a servant that had faith and believed in God. Thank God for the intervention of Saul’s servant, who encouraged his master not to give up yet, but to go look for the man of God nearby. Also, thank God for Saul’s humility and obedience in listening to the servant despite his possible fatigue.

As the rest of the story goes, Samuel was expectantly awaiting to meet Saul and had prepared a grand meal for Saul. Samuel said in 1 Samuel 9:24 that: “…Here is what has been reserved [for you]. Set it before you and eat, because it has been kept for you until the appointed time…”

Some key takeaways

Due to: 1) Saul’s obedience to that simple instruction from his father to go look for some donkeys, 2) Saul’s humility and obedience in listening to his servant who had faith and the diligent spirit to continue searching even though he may have been tired and could have blamelessly acceded to his master’s request for them to return home, Saul unlocked God’s purpose for his life and fulfilled his destiny to become the first King of Israel.

What are some lessons we can take away from this story:

• Discovering your God-given purpose is often closely linked to your diligence and excellence in the closest work at hand, particularly in the seemingly little or mundane task. How you act in that moment when you want to give up, when no-one is watching, is what truly determines the character and habits that you’re forming. Are you wondering what God’s plans for your life are? Your continued obedience to God, come what may, is how you unlock His plans/purpose for your life. Diligence and excellence in the little things are central traits of God’s character. This is why Luke 16:11-12 says: “He who is faithful in a very little thing is also faithful in much; and he who is dishonest in a very little thing is also dishonest in much. Therefore if you have not been faithful in the use of earthly wealth, who will entrust the true riches to you? And if you have not been faithful in the use of that [earthly wealth] which belongs to another [whether God or man, and of which you are a trustee], who will give you that which is your own?”

• A diligent spirit is intricate to great faith. One aspect of great faith is the ability to persevere despite the odds. In Luke 18:1-8, Jesus talks about the kind of faith that He would like to find when he returns i.e. persistent faith, one that prays at all times, does not give up and does not lose heart. It’s not a faith built on belief alone, but one also backed by works – James 2:14-26. Developing the habit of fervent prayer is linked to your diligent character. But a man that is only diligent in prayer but is not diligent in the tasks nearest at hand, the daily realities of life, fools only himself. God is not mocked. So, do not grow weary in doing that which you know is good to do, for in due season you shall reap, if you do not give up – Galatians 6:7-9.

• God is working even when you have no idea what is happening. Saul had no idea what lay ahead of him. In fact, he had no premonition that he was destined to become King. But it was in Saul’s obedience and diligence in the regular and the mundane, that God’s plan for his life was revealed. So, maybe you’re stuck in that job and it seems your prayers are hitting a roof, stay diligent irrespective. Maybe you’re in a marriage and you’re facing some challenges with your partner, stay faithful irrespective. Maybe your friends are wilding out and you’re constantly facing peer pressure to join them, stay obedient to God’s instructions. Maybe you’ve been praying to God for something and it looks like nothing is happening, stay persistent in prayers. Maybe you’re trying to be diligent at something like studying your Bible or going to the gym regularly but you keep starting and stopping or you don’t think any change is happening, try again and stay consistent. God is working. (Pair with my post on: Principles for waiting on God and dealing with uncertainty).

• Your destiny and the discovery of your purpose can be derailed by the people (indolent, slothful, unbelievers, sinful) you’re surrounded with. Saul’s diligence and obedience only took him so far. Left to himself, he would have given up and returned home, missing his destiny to become King. Any hope of changing tack in that moment would have been killed off if his servant did not believe in God or was lacking in diligence. I started off this post by telling you some stories to help make the point that diligence is not a skill you’re born with but something you observe and can learn or train, like a muscle. The people around you and things that influence you – parents, friends, colleagues, acquaintances, social media, work place culture, etc. – play a big role in determining your approach to and the outcome of your life. If you’re lacking in or struggling with diligence, start by look around you. The price of staying indolent/slothful, lacking in diligence/excellence, failing to practice great faith in God, is too steep to pay – it’s the attainment of your destiny, discovering your God-given purpose.

There’s so much to unpack about diligence and excellence that I believe I’ll be writing more about this in future. On faith I’ve written many posts so feel free to peruse the site. Stay blessed!