Fueling Your Zeal With Diligence

The 17th century British preacher John Wesley is estimated to have ridden over 250,000 miles on horseback preaching, teaching and ministering. He preached over 40,000 sermons.

Wesley authored over 400 publications in his lifetime. At age 83 was still writing, however, he was disappointed that after 15 hours at his desk his eyes would begin to hurt. At age 86, he was still preaching, but sad that he only had the stamina to preach twice a day instead of three times as he had for many years.

He complained in his diary that instead of rising at his regular time of 4:00 AM there was an increasing tendency to sleep until 5:30.

Wesley was obviously a zealous worker whose zeal was fueled by diligence.

Diligence means to “exert one’s self. To make every effort. To be eager. To be earnest.” The word is translated in the Bible “endeavoring” in Ephesians 4:3. In Hebrew 4:11 it is rendered “Let us labor.” In 2 Corinthians 8:16 it is “earnest care.”

Diligence is necessary to grow in the Christian graces. The apostle Peter directs us to add to our faith, moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love. But for these virtues to be acquired and developed, Peter says we must “give all diligence” (2Pet. 1:5-7).

Furthermore, in the text, he states that if our salvation is to be secure and we are to remain faithful, we must “be even more diligent” to make “our calling and election sure.” (2 Pet. 1:10)

The Old Testament scribe and priest Ezra, who desired to restore the law to God’s people as they returned from captivity is a great example of zeal fueled with diligence. In Ezra 7:23 the Persian King, Artaxerxes, issued the edict and exhortation: “Whatever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be done with zeal for the house of the God of heaven…”

Various versions render the word “zeal” as “earnestly” or “diligently.” It embodies that concept of fervor that is actively exerting effort. In Romans 12:11, the apostle couples these characteristics when he admonished Christians “not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord.” Other translations read “Do not be slothful in zeal.” Zeal and diligence are two powerful qualities that complement each other. I asked ChatGPT how these two traits relate to each other and received this insightful reply.

“While zeal ignites motivation, diligence sustains it. Zeal without diligence can lead to burnout or half-finished projects—enthusiasm might spark a strong start, but without the discipline to follow through, goals remain incomplete. Conversely, diligence without zeal can make the process feel mechanical and uninspired, lacking the creative energy or emotional investment needed to push boundaries or innovate.”

In his fine class book, Lifelong Zeal: How To Build A Lasting Passion for God, Phillip Shumake offers 4 tips for “enhancing your zeal with diligence.”

#1 Diligence rejects laziness and aims for excellence.

The wise man often condemned the lazy sluggard. In Proverbs 13:4 he observed, “The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied.” Conversely the Bible challenges God’s people to strive for excellence in word, thought and deed (Phil. 4:8).

#2 Diligence works with the end in mind.

Stephen Covey popularized this concept in his leadership book 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. It means begin with a clear understanding of your destination. Know where you are going. Be purpose-driven. And don’t get caught up in the activity trap.

Christians should understand this better than anyone. Our lives revolve around and are regulated by our relationship with the Lord. Our goal is to glorify Him, honor His Word, serve His purpose, seeking those things which are above, and ultimately receiving the goal of eternal life.

#3 Diligence finds effective partners.

God created us for community and formed us for fellowship. The “one another” way is often spoken of in Scripture. As we partner together with those of like faith we can do more and accomplish greater goals. Pastors, preachers, teachers and all Christians share in a divine partnership for effective ministry (Eph. 4:11-16). Together is better.

#4 Diligence does not waste opportunities.

“Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” admonished Paul in Galatians 6:10. Being opportunity oriented involves three factors. (1) We must seek opportunity. (2) We must see opportunity. (3) We must seize opportunity. When our zeal is fueled by diligence, we rise above mere desire and wishes to do more and be better; we truly seek it, our eyes are open to see it, and then instead of the opportunity vanishing, we grab hold and seize it before it’s too late.

Zeal fueled with diligence will imbibe the philosophy of John Wesley who wrote: “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, so long as ever you can.”

–Ken Weliever, The Preacherman