Have you ever found yourself doing something you know God called you to do? You know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that you heard his voice and you stepped out in obedience and here you are right in the middle of it. Life is rewarding and fulfilling and you don't see yourself doing anything else.
That is a great place to be, but if we are not careful, we'll miss the next assignment God has for us. It is so important to be in tune to the Spirit of God and to consistently hear his voice. So, many times we hear a word from God and we live on that word alone for too long. Abraham was told by God to take his son Isaac to the mountain to offer him there as a sacrifice. Imagine what would have happened had Abraham not heard God speak to him a second time and tell him to stop. That would have really spelled out disaster for Isaac.
It's great to hear God's voice and to walk in obedience. But, we need to make sure we are constantly hearing his voice or we can really miss it. What is He saying today? What is today's assignment from Him?
We can all get really comfortable where we are and let's face it, hearing a new word from God usually requires us to step out of that comfort zone. As a result, sometimes we are hesitant to listen for that progressive word from the Lord. We fight really hard to hold onto what is, and as a result we fail to be released into the new thing God desires for us to walk in.
Determine to listen for God's voice today and refuse to hold onto the things He longs for you to release.
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Saturday, February 3, 2007
Persistence
While watching my 9 month old today, I was reminded of the rewards of determination and persistence. In our family room, we have a small art table for our toddler and on top of it are small clay figures that he created with the help of his mom. For about 10 minutes, I watched my 9 month old try and try to reach one of those clay figures that was well out of his reach. He went from one side of the table to the other, stretching out as far as he could. After a few minutes of observation, I was certain there was no chance of him reaching them but I wanted to see how long he would keep after it. Eventually, he squeezed himself between the table and the wall and reaching as far as he could, he was still a couple inches short. Finally, he pushed the table away from the wall, moved in a little closer, and the next thing I know he grabbed the clay and as he does with everything, he started to chow down.
If you have kids you know this story is not unique. Young children can be so persistent. Passing by those golden arches or taking a trip to Walmart and just passing by the toy isles is all it takes to remind us of this fact. That quality can drive us nuts sometimes, but it can also teach us a valuable lesson. If we want our life to be one that is filled with success, nothing can take the place of determination and persistence.
From our careers, to education, to marriage, to parenting, to ministry, to character, and beyond, success often hinges on this quality. In every area of our life, we are faced with the temptation time and time again to quit. It is always easier to quit than it is to continue. Continuing requires hard work and sweat. It requires rolling up our sleeves and not stopping until the job is done. It requires focusing on a goal and letting nothing stop us from achieving that goal.
Proverbs 24:16 says "Though a just man falls seven times, he rises up again." The key is how we react to what life throws us. Get ready because life will throw you pain, disappointment, failure, and a host of other negative things that are designed to get you to throw in the towel. Those with persistence get back up, time after time after time. Like Rocky Balboa who takes a beating round after round yet somehow finds the strength to get up and fight one more round.
Those who were members of the early church knew what this was all about. "We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;" (II Cor. 4:8-9) They were hit from all sides but refused to let life whip them. That attitude is one that we all need in order to live a victorious life.
Has life hit you hard? Have you been knocked down by the circumstances of life? Have you tried and tried and continued to fail? Determine to get back up and go at it again. Make a decision to get back in the ring. It ain't over, til you say its over!
If you have kids you know this story is not unique. Young children can be so persistent. Passing by those golden arches or taking a trip to Walmart and just passing by the toy isles is all it takes to remind us of this fact. That quality can drive us nuts sometimes, but it can also teach us a valuable lesson. If we want our life to be one that is filled with success, nothing can take the place of determination and persistence.
From our careers, to education, to marriage, to parenting, to ministry, to character, and beyond, success often hinges on this quality. In every area of our life, we are faced with the temptation time and time again to quit. It is always easier to quit than it is to continue. Continuing requires hard work and sweat. It requires rolling up our sleeves and not stopping until the job is done. It requires focusing on a goal and letting nothing stop us from achieving that goal.
Proverbs 24:16 says "Though a just man falls seven times, he rises up again." The key is how we react to what life throws us. Get ready because life will throw you pain, disappointment, failure, and a host of other negative things that are designed to get you to throw in the towel. Those with persistence get back up, time after time after time. Like Rocky Balboa who takes a beating round after round yet somehow finds the strength to get up and fight one more round.
Those who were members of the early church knew what this was all about. "We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;" (II Cor. 4:8-9) They were hit from all sides but refused to let life whip them. That attitude is one that we all need in order to live a victorious life.
Has life hit you hard? Have you been knocked down by the circumstances of life? Have you tried and tried and continued to fail? Determine to get back up and go at it again. Make a decision to get back in the ring. It ain't over, til you say its over!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)