Another school year will be drawing to a close in the next few weeks, and most young people have spent the last nine months in school or studying at home, hopefully preparing to be on their own in the future.

I would like to ask the young people reading this: Do you ever wonder what you will do to earn a living, what your career will consist of? Do you ever wonder how successful you are going to be, or what things you will be able to accomplish? Do you ever wonder if you will be able to enjoy the “good life” and afford the nicer than average things? Do you wonder if you will wind up having a job that you enjoy, or one that you must do out of necessity? Will you be able to support yourself and a family and own a nice home and automobile—all of those things we think of as the “American Dream”?

Probably most young people have these thoughts and questions from time to time. You may not worry about such things at this time in your life, but you do think about them.

We are all aware of the economic downturn in the United States, as our nation faces many problems at this time. Unemployment problems are continually in the news with many major corporations laying off employees as part of necessary cutbacks. Some of these may already be affecting your family. Many of you harbor legitimate concerns and are uncertain about your future.

Even with conditions that now occur in our economy, a way exists for you to be successful and to land a good job in this country. This key concept or way for you to be successful starts right now no matter your age or grade in school. It can be described in a word: diligence. Diligence means “steady, earnest, energetic application and effort.” The opposite of a diligent person is one who is indifferent, lazy or a sluggard. An indifferent and lazy person displays a lack of interest or concern, placing little or no importance or value on their schooling and education. A sluggard is nothing more than a habitually idle or lazy person.

Diligence reaps rewards

Two scriptures in the Bible prove this point. Let’s see the downside of the first in Proverbs 13:4, “The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing; but the soul of the diligent shall be made rich.” This person wants to be successful, with all of the wants and desires, but without diligence he cannot make it. The last part of the verse indicates the diligent person is going to be successful.

Proverbs 12:24 also verifies this: “The hand of the diligent will rule, but the lazy man will be put to forced labor.” The diligent person will be in control or in management—will rule. But the indifferent person, the sluggard, will be forced to work at the more menial paying jobs that won’t produce the good things or extras in life that most people desire. Think about something as this school year ends. You could approach the rest of the school year from either of the two different attitudes we just read about. You could decide to just get through it—get your time of education behind you and deal later with whatever comes next. Maybe you treat some of your classes that way—just enduring them—while you enjoy and are diligent in other classes. What you are doing is setting a pattern that will follow you the rest of your life. As you leave this school year behind and go on to the next level, this way will probably continue in your life.

As strange as this may sound, there is no greater key to success in this life than being able to produce what is called “an honest day’s work.” If you start now to become diligent in every application of school—and as you either begin your work career or go on to college, whichever you choose—you will begin to set a pattern that will make you successful.

Shortcuts, just getting by, breezing through class with a passing grade and allowing others to tackle the tough jobs is not the way to success. If this is your pattern, you will be average or below average as a wage earner. You will have a life, and you will get by, but you won’t be able to enjoy the nicer things and share your success with others.

As you plan for your future, you need to know what employers seek. Many other young people are looking for jobs in your chosen field. If you have established a pattern and reputation of diligence as part of your character, you will get the jobs and advancements and will be successful.

Look at what Proverbs 10:4 has to say about this. “He who has a slack hand becomes poor, but the hand of the diligent makes rich.” Those who are indifferent, lazy or just want to slide by and get it over with will wind up below average.

The diligent person brings success and even wealth to himself and to his family. A major key to your being successful begins in your life NOW. Diligence is your key to success.