Have you ever had to wait on something? A train? A meal? A vacation?
One of the hardest things to deal with in life is delay. The time between when we begin and see the result can often feel like decades.
Think about trying to shed a few pounds. FOREVER!
What about the days between paychecks? ENDLESS!
What about how long it is taking for your prayers to be answered?
Sometimes things can be delayed so long that we choose to give up. Think about the last time you stood in a long line, anticipating making it to the end. There were probably times when you thought about getting out of the line.
But what if you had? What if you had given up on waiting, moving three inches every 5 minutes? What if you had not found a way to overcome the delay?
You would have missed the prize that was waiting for you at the end.
There have been times in my life when I have given up on an event because the wait was just too long. Or I left a game early because I thought I knew what the result would be. Only to find out later that amazing things happened, or I missed the performance of a life-time.
It is in those moments that I say, "Man, if I only I had stayed! If I could have just waited a little longer!"
Galatians 6:9 encourages us, "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."
Overcoming DELAY may be difficult. It may take extraordinary patience. But in the end, it will be worth the wait!
Are you trying to stand in faith for something in your life? Are you feeling like you want to give up or quit? Don't do it. Hang in there. Keep enduring. If you can make it just a little longer you will find yourself with the answer, the reward in your hand!
Don't Give Up!!
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Friday, July 10, 2009
MAKE THE TURN
Take two magnets and hold them close together.
If you have the polarity right, they will attract one another and stick together. Try pulling the magnets apart. Takes a little effort doesn't it?
Now hold the magnets about 1/4" apart and let one go! See how they come together again? That is because of the magnetic pull of one on the other.
Now put the two together again. Pull them apart to about 1/4" again. Now turn one of them around and let it go. See how the forces between them actually pushed one away?
That is the same idea of what happens to us when we "repent" or turn away from things that are holding us back.
So many people believe that repenting means asking forgiveness - but this is not all of the story. To repent means to "turn the other way". And just like our magnet, when we turn away from the things that have been holding us back, we will actually begin to be repelled from them. They will eventually become repulsive to us.
Whether it is a bad habit, a bad relationship or a troubled past, we must turn away.
So often, many people will go through the hard work of breaking away from the things that hold them back, but they never make the turn away from those things. Because of that, when they lose their grip on pulling away, they are drawn back into the old ways.
One reason this is true is because we must keep making the choice to turn away until it becomes a new habit. We replace our old thoughts with new ones, we replace our old relationships with new ones, we replace the places we used to go with new ones, until "old things have passed away and all things have become new".
This process is INSTANT in Christ. The moment we ask forgiveness and accept him as our savior, everything is NEW, but we must walk that out.
It's not so much that falling back into old habits will condemn us to an eternal hell as much as it will keep us from enjoying the fullness of life that Christ purchased for us.
What do you need to turn away from today? Do you need to turn your back on a habit that keeps you from being all that you can be in Christ? Do you need to turn your back on some relationships that continually drag you into sin and failure?
Yes, those can be tough decisions and require much effort on our part, but in the end, they are worth every ounce of energy we pour into them. And with God's daily-renewed Mercy, and His limitless Grace, we can MAKE THE TURN!
If you have the polarity right, they will attract one another and stick together. Try pulling the magnets apart. Takes a little effort doesn't it?
Now hold the magnets about 1/4" apart and let one go! See how they come together again? That is because of the magnetic pull of one on the other.
Now put the two together again. Pull them apart to about 1/4" again. Now turn one of them around and let it go. See how the forces between them actually pushed one away?
That is the same idea of what happens to us when we "repent" or turn away from things that are holding us back.
So many people believe that repenting means asking forgiveness - but this is not all of the story. To repent means to "turn the other way". And just like our magnet, when we turn away from the things that have been holding us back, we will actually begin to be repelled from them. They will eventually become repulsive to us.
Whether it is a bad habit, a bad relationship or a troubled past, we must turn away.
So often, many people will go through the hard work of breaking away from the things that hold them back, but they never make the turn away from those things. Because of that, when they lose their grip on pulling away, they are drawn back into the old ways.
One reason this is true is because we must keep making the choice to turn away until it becomes a new habit. We replace our old thoughts with new ones, we replace our old relationships with new ones, we replace the places we used to go with new ones, until "old things have passed away and all things have become new".
This process is INSTANT in Christ. The moment we ask forgiveness and accept him as our savior, everything is NEW, but we must walk that out.
It's not so much that falling back into old habits will condemn us to an eternal hell as much as it will keep us from enjoying the fullness of life that Christ purchased for us.
What do you need to turn away from today? Do you need to turn your back on a habit that keeps you from being all that you can be in Christ? Do you need to turn your back on some relationships that continually drag you into sin and failure?
Yes, those can be tough decisions and require much effort on our part, but in the end, they are worth every ounce of energy we pour into them. And with God's daily-renewed Mercy, and His limitless Grace, we can MAKE THE TURN!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
