The Resident Pastor of the International Central Gospel Church (ICGC), Holy Hills Temple, Rev. Oscar Morrison, has urged Christians to make diligence a way of life, stressing that prayer must be accompanied by hard work, planning and commitment to achieve success.
Preaching on Sunday on the theme, “The Hand of the Diligent Will Rule,” Rev. Morrison said diligence distinguishes those who rise to positions of influence from those who remain in servitude.
Drawing from the books of Proverbs and Nehemiah, he said God honours hard work, focus, discipline and commitment.
“The hand of the diligent will rule, but the lazy man will be put to forced labour. The difference between a ruler and a servant is not prayer alone, but diligence,” he said.
Rev. Morrison described culture as the way of life of a group of people, encompassing their behaviours, belief systems and values. He said Christianity must therefore cultivate a culture of diligence modelled after Christ.
Drawing lessons from the life of Nehemiah, he noted that although the walls of Jerusalem had remained broken for decades, Nehemiah did not rely on prayer alone but combined it with careful planning and decisive action.
“He was diligent in prayer, diligent in planning and diligent in execution. Before he laid a block, he asked for letters, sought permission from the king, surveyed the wall at night and paid attention to every detail,” he said.
Rev. Morrison outlined several principles required to cultivate diligence, including making effective use of time. He cautioned against spending excessive time in bed, becoming addicted to phones and engaging in prolonged idle conversations.
He urged believers to be intentional about how they begin their day and conduct their businesses and other responsibilities.
The pastor also stressed the importance of hard work, describing it as part of the Christian calling and cautioning that success cannot be achieved merely by wishing and praying for opportunities without putting in the necessary effort.
According to him, attention to detail is equally critical to producing quality work and creating value, requiring individuals to remain focused on every aspect of an assignment.
He further urged believers to develop the discipline to finish what they start, citing Nehemiah’s refusal to be distracted from rebuilding Jerusalem’s walls.
Rev. Morrison said Nehemiah remained focused despite opposition and distractions, completing within a short period a task that had remained undone for decades.
He encouraged professionals, students, entrepreneurs and artisans to demonstrate diligence in their respective fields, noting that diligence has the capacity to bring people before kings rather than obscure men.
“God has given us gifts and talents. Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with focus and consistency. You will enter into glory if you rise and take your place,” he added.
Rev. Morrison concluded by calling on Christians to move beyond occasional acts of hard work and embrace diligence as a consistent lifestyle anchored in prayer, planning, discipline and perseverance.
