WHERE IS YOUR SENSE OF DUTY?

So they said, "Let us rise up and build." Then they set their hands to this good work. Nehemiah 2:17-18
 
Today we continue our study of what Proverbs calls “our most precious possession: diligence.”
Diligence is more than hard work; it is hard work that rises from loyalty to a cause. It is a unique kind of commitment that surpasses one’s loyalty to serve their own private interests or personal convenience.

Consider those who serve in the military, law enforcement or as first responders. Their vocation requires them to put their lives on the line in service to others. Every day they put the cause before themselves, their ambitions and even their families. Sociologists call it an institutional mindset. It’s a mentality that places the needs of the society, the group or the organization as a priority over one’s personal needs. First responders do it every day, faithfully and selflessly and as a result, we call them heroes—and they are.

This is the essence of duty—it’s a loyalty to the cause. And those who share it, have a different mentality than most people today; especially those of us in civilian life. We don’t have an institutional mindset; we don’t have a primary commitment to a society or organization; our primary commitment is to ourselves. This is why most people, when faced with a certain level of sacrifice or self-denial, will find themselves asking, “Why am I doing this? What am I getting out of this?” As a result, their quality of work will diminish—as will their commitment—until they finally justify their lack of diligence and find an excuse to quit.

By contrast, the man or woman of diligence will go on because they are driven by something deeper, they are driven by a sense of honor—an inner need to do what is right, not for themselves, but for the institution they serve.

Nehemiah had this sense of duty. He had a mindset that elevated the needs of Israel above his own needs. He said, “See the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire. Come and let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer be a reproach.” It was a sense of duty: a commitment to a cause greater than himself.

Too often we hear preachers, motivational gurus and university commencement speakers tell their audiences: “Find your passion. Look inside to see what you love. Know what your passion is and make your life about that.” That is really bad advice—unless we’re building a nation of narcissists whose primary concern is “What makes me happy?” People of character do not look inside for a passion, they look outside at the world and see what problems need solving and make their lives about that. They ask, “What are the world’s greatest needs and how can my abilities and aptitudes meet those needs?” Their passion, their duty is not determined by what life can give to them, it’s determined by what is life is calling them to do.

Though they exist, diligent people are becoming harder to find. Most people commit to a task only to the level of their own comfort and self-interest. They have little tolerance for duty—especially the kind of duty that requires them to deny personal needs and preferences. Paradoxically, this is also why diligence is the great distinguisher. Nothing gives you more distinction and differentiates you from the crowd like diligence. Like no other virtue, diligence is a launch pad for promotion. In fact, one cannot rise to the “next level” without it. This is why Proverbs 22:29 tells us diligence causes one to stand before kings and not unknown men. Those who are building great organizations understand the value of duty and diligence and they will regard those with such character among their most valued assets.

​Check back next week for further discussion on diligence. Or, check out my newest book, Upward: Taking Your Life to the Next Level.

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