There is no lasting satisfaction in accomplishing anything outside of ideas inspired by God. The only means of accomplishing the desires and goals most important in human life is through establishing a relationship with God as He originally intended it.
Diligence is an inward attitude expressed first in a deep desire for intimate relationship with God. Then it works its way out into the activity of serving others.
This kind of inward longing to know God more intimately never stops. The deeper our fellowship with the Lord, the deeper we long to know Him.
There are many people who outwardly have all the appearance of diligence, yet who are inwardly starved and stagnant in their relationship with the Lord. Such people have not been diligent with what they have received from God. The Lord does not bless slothfulness, but rather He rewards diligence.
Shortly before Jesus was to be taken away and crucified, He began teaching the disciples about the responsibilities that would be placed on them after He had ascended to the right hand of God the Father.
In the parable of the talents from Matthew 25:14-30, Jesus gave a clear illustration of His attitude toward the diligent as well as the slothful.
In this parable, a man set out on a journey and gave three servants talents according to his ability—five talents to one servant, two to a second servant, and one to a third servant. The first servant invested his talents and doubled his investment. The servant with two talents also doubled his investment. But the servant with one talent hid it in the ground.
When the master settled accounts with his servants, he praised both of the servants who doubled their talents. But he rebuked the servant who hid his talent and took it away from him and gave it to the servant with ten talents.
We can clearly identify the “man” who set out on a journey, leaving behind certain assets in the hands of his servants. The “man” in this parable represents God. The servants are the disciples who would be entrusted with the man’s goods. God would entrust to these disciples, as He has to us, His very life and nature. That nature of super-energized life that has been deposited in our spirits is the “talent.” The decision to entrust different amounts to each servant was determined by the “man,” based upon his knowledge of the individual servant.
God gives individual assignments to us based upon His knowledge of us. He never asks anyone to do anything that cannot be realistically accomplished.
If we are trying to do something so far-out that it is beyond our capacity in God to complete, we had better re-evaluate our assignment to make certain it is really from God.
Through this parable, God reveals to us that He is a Creator Who has not stopped creating. However, now He has called us to become co-creators with Him. But to fulfill the assignment God has given each of us, we cannot neglect the life and nature of God that has been deposited in our hearts.
