Commentators unanimously emphasize that the phrases 'be diligent' and 'give yourself wholly to them' call for a total, all-consuming commitment. Scholars explain this means ministry should be the primary aim of life, free from competing ambitions or worldly distractions. The Greek phrase 'be in these things' conveys the idea of being completely absorbed in the work, as one scholar puts it, 'up to his ears' in the task.