Let’s look again at how the passage in 2 Peter 1:5-8 begins: “But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance…”

Peter isn’t suggesting that we occasionally work on these things. He says “giving all diligence.” He’s not even saying that we do this with some diligence, but rather, with all diligence. So let’s examine what it means to be diligent and what the Bible says about this attribute.

To be diligent is to be hardworking, putting care and effort into what one does. It requires constant, painstaking, and steady effort. We have a detailed description of a diligent woman in Proverbs 31. Take a look at what she does.

1. She seeks wool and flax, and willingly works with her hands. (v. 13)

Note the verbs: seeks, works and the adverb willingly.

            Here is an attitude that should accompany our work: willingness, which implies cheerfulness. Her calling is her work, and she is not forced to do these things. Rather, she is seeking out her work of her own accord. This means she is self-governed and self-motivated. Women who hate their work, whether at home, at an office, or as a student, will do a poor job joylessly. How much better it is if we seek out our work willingly and joyfully. I sometimes remind married women that God has given them such good work to do. We need to give ourselves a good job description and not say something like, “No, I don’t work. I’m just a homemaker.” Recently I heard someone say that a friend had admitted that she didn’t want to work, she just wanted to get married and have kids. Someone responded with, “Well, at least she is honest.” To which I replied, “Who said having kids is not work?” And they of course agreed quickly. But women are so used to demeaning their own calling, they don’t even hear themselves doing it. Women are called to a glorious work in their homes.

2. She also rises while it is yet night and provides food for her household and a portion for her maidservants. (v. 15)

 This woman is an early riser. It is still dark out when she is popping out of bed to hit the day running. Sometimes unmarried women who are students develop bad habits of staying up late (goofing off) and then sleeping half the day away in the morning, getting up just in time to get to class. I’m not talking here about staying up late to work on a paper or study for a test. Unless it is the result of lots of procrastination, it is probably diligence. But staying up late to party, and sleeping in half the day is lazy, irresponsible, and bad preparation for holding a job or for being a wife and mother. Diligence is for everyone, not just for married women. I’ve also seen wives and mothers shirk their duties at home because they need to “get out of the house.” Again, we all need to get out of the house from time to time. Nothing wrong with that. The issue is the context. Do you need to get out of the house because you are so far behind in your house work? Is it an excuse to run away from your duties? A woman who is on top of her work can afford to take some time off. But the woman who is behind ought to stick it out and get to work. She should roll up her sleeves willingly and seek out her work with joy.

3. She girds herself with strength, and strengthens her arms. (v. 17)

She is not a wimp; she is not afraid of work, but rather embraces it with enthusiasm. The work God gives us to do should challenge us and please us. When the house is clean and the laundry is done, we should feel satisfied and tired. If you’ve worked all day on a school project or studied long for a test or spent the day getting your desk cleared, you should feel blessed and thankful. Diligence is strong, not weak.

4. Her lamp does not go out by night. (v. 18)

She is not goofing off! She perseveres. She gets the job done, and not half-way.

5. She watches over the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness. (v. 27)

She is careful to watch over her responsibilities, not slacking off, not just getting by. This is a good exhortation for women in all seasons of life. We are to watch over our duties whether it is a household, a course of study, a business, or a job of any kind. Cutting corners, slacking off, and letting things coast are all forms of idleness. And idleness is more of a danger than we often think. It can be a set up for other sins: 1 Tim. 5:13 And besides they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house, and not only idle but also gossips and busybodies, saying things which they ought not.  

For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 2 Tim 3:6

A diligent woman knows how her business is doing, she is watching carefully, exercising a godly authority and oversight. She doesn’t have anyone looking over her shoulder telling her to get her work done. She is working heartily unto the Lord, cheerfully, willingly, and skillfully. God rewards such diligence.

God blesses diligence.

Proverbs has much to say about a Protestant work ethic. Here is a small sampling.

Proverbs 12:27 The lazy man does not roast what he took in hunting, But diligence is man’s precious possession.  10:4 He who has a slack hand becomes poor, but the hand of the diligent makes rich. 12:24 The hand of the diligent will rule, but the lazy man will be put to forced labor. 

13:4 The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing; but the soul of the diligent shall be made rich.

There is nothing wrong with recognizing that God will bless the diligent woman with wealth and authority. People naturally look to the woman who is exercising a godly dominion over her responsibilities. Students admire fellow students who are diligent in their studies; the whole community respects hard-working women who keep their homes and families in a godly order; women in the workplace are esteemed for their capable leadership. God rewards the diligent by giving them more responsibility, and He honors those who honor Him in the way that they work.

Spiritual Diligence 

One of the good things the Puritans did for us was to fight for the idea that all work is sacred if it is done unto the Lord. Any lawful calling can honor and please God if we work faithfully. And this quality of diligence has obvious spiritual application. Not only are we called to physical work that requires diligence. Our spiritual lives are to display the same quality of discipline, care, oversight, serious, steady effort. The verse I quoted at the beginning from 2 Peter calls us to be working hard at adding virtue and perseverance and godliness and kindness and knowledge and self control and love and faith to our Christian lives. We do this the same way that we work hard at other things: by paying attention, being self-motivated, rising to the occasion, not making excuses, obeying all the Bible says.

Heb. 4:11 Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience.

Heb. 12:14-15 Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord, looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled. 

 The Christian life requires discipline, courage, faith, and diligence. We work out what He works in. This is all done in faith, by faith, with faith, because without faith it is impossible to please God.