Are You One Of The 'Other People'?

News Reporter: So who is coming for the event?
M.C: ‘Mr & Mrs W’, ‘Mr X’, ‘Mrs Y’ and ‘Others’.
In the comfort of your ‘associates’, where do you find yourself- the ‘Named category’ or the ‘Other People’? You can easily identify which category by who and who would feel the impact of your absence, provided ‘Mr Nobody’ is removed from the equation.
Proverbs 22:29 AMP
Do you see a man diligent and skillful in his business?  He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men.

True Diligence to one’s work is a commitment without reservations, a focus without disturbance and persistence without indulging in societal ignorance. It is the highest form of appreciation and acceptance of one’s work. It brings you from a place of nothingness (humble beginnings), to a place of ‘absolute significance’.
To be diligent means to be careful and conscientious in a task or duties. In other words, to be Expeditious. A diligent Man is an outstanding success that will always standout because he remains true to his course- doesn’t give up, and would always remember his origin.
One of the reasons why we would always have two groups of people in existence- the celebrated and those that celebrate– Is because, one of the groups, more than the other, have learnt to skillfully promote and improve themselves via hard-work and depriving themselves of instant gratification, because they know a time will come, when their hard work would pay off, and they would be celebrated, as they are now been celebrated. It is quite important to note that we celebrate people for the achievements and accomplishment we do not yet possess (at the very least); this is why when people attain our heights,  we congratulate them. Unless we learn to value ourselves, people will never value us.
I once met a man who said he pushed himself to work really hard so that when he attends an event and the names of the poeple present are being called; he will not be listed among the ‘Other People’. He wanted to be Significant and subsequently be in a position where he would be able to help people.  The place of mediocrity leaves you with no worth of your own, let alone wanting to share any with others. Today this man I talk about is a Professor and the Vice Chancellor of a reputable institution in Nigeria.
Who are you (who do you aspire to be) at your your place of work (school, church, and everywhere else)? Are you among the ‘named category’ or the ‘other people’?
Do you see a man diligent and skillful in his business?
The first thing to note here is the the question,  ‘do you see’.. This question by implication means there is a team observing and monitoring the human species. There mission is to see the progress of the human race and reflect it back to us. These are the same people we have been blaming for all our misfortunes and laziness- they are called LIFE #TeamLife. Stop saying life is unfair to you- be diligent in your work- be patient and see the manifestation of your glory.
The second thing we see is that when ‘life’ searches the human race to reward it with the ‘reflection’ of ‘glory’, she searches specifically for a man that is ‘diligent and skillful’…  a  man that has a bearing and trains himself to be exceptional, unique and special at pursing it.  A man whose motive and hard work are directly proportional, and isn’t too proud to keep learning as he is constantly growing in his selected endeavour.
The third thing to note is that, all this ‘boils down’ to an all important fact, ‘his business’- God will never call you to give account of what he didn’t give you jurisdiction over. You will never find your success, accomplishment or fulfilment in someone else’s purpose no matter how hard you try. Life would never search for you in someone else’s house, even if you are not home; she would patiently wait for you to return. The truth of the matter is, you cannot be living someone else’s life and be saying life isn’t fair to you- you are neither fair to your life nor to yourself; but in any case, it’s still you in the equation, that is suffering. Your diligence and training should always be targeted towards your ‘calling’ and purpose in life, not somebody else you admire.
Do you know of any such man? Does he carry your name tag, or other people’s? It is important you know because…
He will stand before kings;
Just like Joseph, he will be elevated from the pit of Potiphar’s prison to king Pharaoh’s palace!!! (Genesis 41:46) What an overwhelming feeling this would be (1st King 10:8). The joy of satisfaction- of a good success, and of knowing ‘life was never really against you’. ‘The plans of the diligent lead surely to advantage… (Proverbs 21:5a NAS). The reward for diligence is a greater you, it exposes you to levels which hitherto would not have been possible. It gives you a name and significance in the presence of the people that matter- Highly placed and favoured persons.
He will not stand before obscure men.
What relationship has a man whose dignity is rooted in his diligence, with a man that has been diagnosed with a condition of acute laziness? The reward for diligence cannot be found ‘dancing’ amidst people of ignorable repute. This concluding part of the last verse of the 22nd book of Proverbs indicates that a man of diligence ‘ceases to report’ to people who do not command authority. To stand before someone implies that, that person is of high significance and commands a huge amount of respect (that’s why it is ok to stand before kings and not obscure men).
Lazy hands make a man poor
But diligent hands bring wealth
Proverbs 10:4 NIV
God bless YOU♥
Oluwatosin Olabode (Double_ST)