In the great work of restoration that is gospel ministry, God is preparing us for maturity. He wants us to grow up into an ability to rule. We must rule, first ourselves, and then after that the vocation that God has given to us. It must be done, all of it, under the Lordship of Christ.
This is why the book of Proverbs is key. The word proverb is related to the word for rule, and proverbial wisdom is characteristic of those who have the wisdom to rule. A ruler knows how to generalize, and he knows what the pitfalls of generalizations are. Rulers are not made by clichés, but rather by proverbs.
Here’s one: “The hand of the diligent shall bear rule: But the slothful shall be under tribute” (Prov. 12:24). The sluggard rolls his eyes, and says that too is a tired out ethical cliché, and “yes, I know, I’ve heard it before.”
But note that the whole thing is directed toward an end. God wants us to grow up into responsibility. He does not say, “The hand of the diligent shall be attached to a good, little boy.” He says that the hand of the diligent will have additional responsibility placed in it. To whom much is given much is required, but it is also true that those who do diligently what is required are given much more.
The God of the Bible overflows. He is not static, and does not want us to be static. He does not call us to be stuck. He does not call us to the rut. He calls us to diligence in our station, to be fruitful at the post we were assigned.
And, of course, this cannot be done apart from the enable grace of God, given to us in His Holy Spirit.