Chapter 11 from Gardiner Spring's, "The Power of The Pulpit" | It is beneficial for us to keep such an example of ministerial diligence before our eyes. Through Paul’s life, we can better appreciate how much can be accomplished by the patient and self-sacrificing efforts of one devoted servant of God.

Effective diligence encompasses the entirety of a minister’s life, requiring full dedication to the work of the Gospel. For a minister, time is more precious than rubies. A diligent minister carefully manages his time, gathering up every fragment so that none is wasted. There is nothing he feels more solemnly accountable for, nor anything he uses more cheerfully or intensely, in service to his Lord. While he, like everyone, needs moments of rest, it is essential that he chooses these moments with an honest conscience, fully aware that, when faced with the choice between labor and rest, it is natural to lean toward rest.