Let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up” (Galatians 6:9 NLT). There are many things that work to keep us from completing our life missions. Over the years, one might debate whether the worst enemy is procrastination or discouragement. If Satan can’t get us to put off our life missions, then he’ll try to get us to quit altogether. The apostle Paul teaches that we need to resist discouragement: “Let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up” (Galatians 6:9 NLT). Do you ever get tired of doing what’s right? Maybe we all do. Sometimes it seems easier to do the wrong thing than the right thing. When we’re discouraged, we become ineffective. When we’re discouraged, we work against our own faith. When we’re discouraged, we’re saying, “It can’t be done.” That’s the exact opposite of saying, “I know God can do it because of what he said.” Ask yourself these questions: · How do I handle failure? · When things don’t go my way, do I get grumpy? · When things don’t go my way, do I get frustrated? · When things don’t go my way, do I start complaining? · Do I finish what I start? · How would I rate on persistence? If you’re discouraged, don’t give up without a fight. Nothing worthwhile ever happens without endurance and energy. When an artist creates a sculpture, he has to keep chipping away. He doesn’t hit the chisel with the hammer once, and suddenly all the excess stone falls away, revealing a beautiful masterpiece. He keeps hitting it and hitting it, chipping away at the stone. And that’s true of life, too. Nothing really worthwhile ever comes easy in life. You keep hitting it and going after it, and little by little your life becomes a masterpiece of God’s grace. The fact is that great people are really just ordinary people with an extraordinary amount of determination. Great people don’t know how to quit.
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“The wise man looks ahead. The fool attempts to fool himself and won’t face facts” (Proverbs 14:8 TLB). Many people in life start out well, but they end up progressing poorly because they don’t plan for the pitfalls. But the Bible says the wise person looks ahead and faces reality. As we make plans for our future, we all face pitfalls, such as cultural distractions, voices of doubt, tempting shortcuts, and discouraging delays. Just look at Noah: He faced a variety of obstacles after God told him to build the ark, but he overcame them — and you can, too. Now, this doesn’t mean God will give you a goal as audacious as building an ark, but I pray he’ll give you a big goal — even an audacious one — for your next 10 years. The Bible says, “The wise man looks ahead. The fool attempts to fool himself and won’t face facts” (Proverbs 14:8 TLB). By looking ahead, we’ll not only be prepared to spot the pitfalls when they come into our lives, we’ll also be equipped to make plans that help us become the person God wants us to be. Ask God to help you establish goals for the next decade of your life. Then you’ll be ready to move forward and learn how to handle the pitfalls that could potentially keep you from getting where God wants you to “For we fix our attention, not on things that are seen, but on things that are unseen. What can be seen lasts only for a time, but what cannot be seen lasts forever” (2 Corinthians 4:18 GNT). As you strive to reach the goals that God has given you, it’s important to remember that life on Earth is just a temporary assignment. Knowing this truth should radically alter your values and fix your attention on the things that are eternally important. As C. S. Lewis observed, “All that is not eternal is eternally useless.” It is a fatal mistake to assume that God’s goal for your life is material prosperity or popular success as the world defines it. The abundant life has nothing to do with material abundance. Faithfulness to God does not guarantee success in a career or even in ministry. Never focus on temporary crowns. Paul was faithful, yet he ended up in prison. John the Baptist was faithful, but he was beheaded. Millions of faithful people have been martyred, have lost everything, or have come to the end of life with nothing to show for it. But the end of life is not the end! The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 4:18, “For we fix our attention, not on things that are seen, but on things that are unseen. What can be seen lasts only for a time, but what cannot be seen lasts forever” (GNT). When life gets tough, when you’re overwhelmed with doubt, or when you wonder if living for Christ is worth the effort, remember that you are not home yet. At death you won’t leave home — you’ll go home |
AuthorTaken from Daily Hope by Rick Warren. Categories
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