September 7, 2012
The Impetus of Determination
“It isn’t the mountain ahead that wears you out – it is the grain of sand in your shoe.”
- Robert Service
Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:1-2
Often the expressions of our desires exceed the degree or depth of our determination when it comes to accomplishing those things we set out to do.
Simply put, often our ability to say what we want to do, or have accomplished within our lives is not equivalent to the level of commitment and effort we are willing to expend to ensure that those aspirations have a greater potential of becoming realities.
For example: if we say we want more of God in our lives; how determined are we and to what extent are we willing to go to facilitate that desire becoming realized?
If we say we want to spend more quality time in prayer and reading God’s word: what kind of sacrifices are we willing to make to afford the necessary time needed to make this happen?
If we declare we want to be more actively involved in the ministries of our local church and or we want to be more effective servants for God: how hard are we willing to work, how much sacrifice are we willing to make and sometimes how much difficulties are we willing to endure to ensure that we accomplish this worthy and worthwhile objective?
The point I am trying to make, which I’m sure most of you have already grasped by now; it that in our spiritual life, especially, it is far easer to talk about what we want than it is to actually do what we say we want.
While God is willing to help us when we are willing to make the effort; and when we make the effort, because of His help we are far more than likely to succeed in degrees beyond what we might have originally imagined: the truth remains if we never move beyond talking about it – God doesn’t have anything much to work with to help us achieve those goals and objectives.
Remember this from James, “…faith without works is dead.” We can say we have all the faith in the world but until we act on that faith, there is no proof that this faith exists.
The same is true of our desires: we may claim to want them but until we expend the effort to get them there is no proof of our sincerity.
So are you ready to activate your determination so that your desires can become closer to being realities?
Today’s Prayer
Father, motivate me to move beyond talking about what I want or want to do for you: to actively attempting to accomplish realizing that as I put forth the effort you will provide the way and means as long as my desire remain within your will.
“I have a Maker
He formed my heart
Before even time began
My life was in his hands.
I have a Father
He calls me His own
He'll never leave me
No matter where I go
He knows my name
He knows my every thought
He sees each tear that falls
And He hears me when I call “
He formed my heart
Before even time began
My life was in his hands.
I have a Father
He calls me His own
He'll never leave me
No matter where I go
He knows my name
He knows my every thought
He sees each tear that falls
And He hears me when I call “
- Lyrics from ‘He Knows My Name’ by Tommy Walker
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