| Nothing Worthwhile Is Ever Easy |
|
|
| By Rick Warren — Jun 20, 2015 |
“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, second edition)
There are many things that work to keep us from completing our life missions. Over the years, I’ve debated 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, second edition).
Do you ever get tired of doing what’s right? I think 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 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, great people are really just ordinary people with an extraordinary amount of determination. Great people don’t know how to quit.
PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>
Talk It Over
- What does your attitude toward a tough situation reveal about your faith?
- What have you been ready to give up on?
- How can God’s Word help you endure? Who in your life can encourage you to keep going?
|
| Today’s Scripture |
“The mind of man plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps.”
(Proverbs 16:9, NASB) |
|
|
|
|
| He Directs Your Steps |
What are you doing to bring your dreams to pass? Are you getting prepared? Do you have clear direction? Are you taking steps of faith? Success is intentional. You may not know what steps to take right now, but God has a good plan for your life. If you’ll do your part to seek Him and begin to make plans to succeed, God will guide you. He will direct your steps. You don’t have to vaguely go through life. God wants to show you His plan. He wants to pour out His blessing on you and see you living a life of victory.
Decide today to make plans to succeed. Write down your goals. Make time to evaluate where you are in life. Evaluate your finances, your career and your relationships. Don’t go another week without having a plan for your future. Evaluate how you’re spending your time and money. If you’ll go beyond dreaming and start making plans to succeed, God promises that He’s going to direct your steps. He will lead you down the path of His favor.
|
|
| A Prayer for Today |
|
“Father, thank You for ordering my steps. Help me to see clearly the plan You have for me today and every day. I submit every area of my life to You and trust that You are working behind the scenes for my good in Jesus’ name. Amen.
PS. To our Heavenly Father, fathers, grandfathers and soon to be fathersHappy Father’s Day =)
|
|
|
|
|
|
No comments:
Post a Comment