Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. (Hebrews 12: 1)
ARE YOU LIVING IN YOUR PAST?
Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up. Do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and springs in the wasteland. (Isaiah 43: 18-19)
As I read this scripture last night, God took a yellow highlighter to the six words I’ve put in bold in this comforting passage. Lately various memories of the poor choices in my past have taunted me. “The Accuser” has done his best to tempt me to go back and mentally visit places I’ve left behind years ago, whispering critically in my ear about the mistakes I’ve made. If he can’t get me to go there physically, he wins if he can get me to live there in my mind. He gains victory if he can convince me that I’m “really” still that person. Well, I’ve got news for him. I’m not, and he can’t.
Maybe this has happened to you. God has brought you a long way or a short way, but you’re not in the same place you were. You possess a genuine desire to honor God in your life. While you’re a long way from perfect, you’re forgiven, and you’re learning and growing. The devil would like nothing more than to convince you that it’s all in vain.
The prophet Isaiah instructed God’s people to forget the former things and not to dwell on the past. You treat the past like you use the rear-view mirror in your vehicle. You glance at it to see what dangers might be coming so that you can take action. But you don’t stare into it and fail to look out the broad windshield at the road ahead. You don’t fix your gaze on the rear view. Neither should you live (dwell) in your past.
Christ has already delivered the crushing blow to Satan. He’s paid for all our sin – past, present, and future. The enemy has no legitimate rights to any believer. He only gains ground when he can tempt you into his territory of condemnation. If he can’t have you for eternity, he would love to sabotage your effectiveness and your peace here on earth. He’d love to shut you down by convincing you that you’re not worthy, not capable, or not clean. This does not have to be.
The next time your enemy or old voices from your past come calling, stake the claim of TRUTH in no uncertain terms. You’re not worthy on your own; no one is. God is calling you to missions you’re not capable of doing by yourself. You have a past that is less than stellar. BUT (and that’s a BIG word!) GOD! But because of a miraculous exchange, He has given you His worthiness. He’s given you His ability so that, empowered by His Spirit, you can do all things to which He has called you. And you’ve been made the righteouness of God in Christ.
Don’t listen to any enemy propaganda contrary to those truths. Don’t dwell in your past. Intead, live in His present and in His Presence.
My Lord, thank You for Your ongoing work in my life. Thank You for not giving up on me and for continuing to Love me and work with me. I affirm Your ongoing transformation in my life. I refuse to dwell on what was or to hear the taunts of the accuser. Instead, this day I walk in Your grace, and I open my eyes to the opportunities You’ve placed before me.
JEHOVAH RAPHA: GOD, MY HEALER
Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53: 4-6)
When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: “He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses.” (Matthew 8: 16-17)
And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. (Matthew 4: 23)
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (Hebrews 13:8)
I would be remiss in my response to my distressed Facebook friend who just received a cancer diagnosis (see previous 2 e-votionals) if I did not point her, you, and all of us to Christ’s healing power. Jesus left no doubt in the mind of one who either followed Him around in the flesh or follows Him today through the study of His Word. Healing is not just something He does. It is part of His very nature.
Before God the Son visited earth bodily for 33 years, God had already made that fact known. He progressively revealed Who He is to His people, doing so by real-life demonstration and by providing another of His Names. Back in the day, name reflected nature. So when God told the Israelites, “I am Jehovah Rapha,” this was amazing. Rapha means “to restore”, “to heal” or “to make healthful” in Hebrew. Jehovah is the Great Physician who heals the physical and emotional needs of His people..
I know this first-hand. Over the span of my lifetime, I’ve experienced the healing of God, physically and emotionally, too many times to count. The emotional blows have often been brutal, but God has brought me through. God has frequently healed me physically – occasionally instantaneously but much more often, progressively. The most humanly dramatic of those were my healing from systemic lupus 40 years ago and my recovery from the crippling auto accident almost 3 years ago. He truly is the Great Physician.
Jesus actually took those brutal lashes on His body at the cross in exchange for the gift of health for us. When I was searching the scriptures about healing when I had lupus, I found the Isaiah scriptures above. However, I was initially afraid to believe that this actually meant that He paid for physical healing. I thought it meant spiritual healing, which He certainly provided for us at the cross. As I continued to look into His Word, however, I found the passage in Matthew above which referred to Isaiah’s prophecy about the Messiah. Jesus was going about healing people from their sicknesses “that the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled.” Gradually, I began to grasp it and hold onto it. His healing had been provided for ME. I came to know it deep in my soul, though my symptoms had not yet subsided. Eventually, all symptoms were gone, and my medical tests revealed “normal.” I know Jehovah Rapha.
Are all healed? All believers are healed – either on this earth or in heaven. I’ve witnessed the healing of many who do not yet know Christ personally. We still live in that period of earth’s history when we all eventually make the transition over through death. My own Dad, a minister, made that transition from the disease of cancer at age 38. I still don’t understand that one. If it still matters when I get to heaven, I want to talk to God about it. But this I know. God calls us home when our purpose on earth has been completed.
I can tell you this. Since God IS The Healer, I’m going to ask in accordance with His nature. I pray with confidence in Him for healing for myself and others, however He chooses to make that happen. I believe in the depths of my soul that He is Who He says He is.
Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
So, my friend who reached out to me, I hope that this series has been helpful to you. I pray that it has touched the lives of many others as well. I’d love to hear how God is speaking to all of you about your own lives.
O my Lord, I thank You that You care about our physical and emotional needs and that You stand ready to heal. I ask You now, in the previous Name of Jesus, to flow Your healing grace and LOVE into the hearts and bodies of your beloved ones. Heal us, O God. Bring health into our bodies and souls, into our families, and into our nation.
MYTH-BUSTING: “God Won’t Give You More Than You Can Bear”
So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. (I Corinthians 10: 13)
(If you missed yesterday’s e-votional, go back and read it. Today, I continue to respond to a message this week from a Facebook friend who is feeling upset with God because she just got a diagnosis of cancer.)
“God won’t give you more than you can bear.”
This saying has been repeated so often, we’ve come to misquote it as scripture. I’ve even heard a “sweet” rendition attributed to Mother Teresa: “I know that God won’t give you more than you can bear, but I just wish He didn’t trust me so much.” Cute. The problem is, it’s not scriptural, and furthermore, it’s not true.
“But wait,” you protest. Didn’t we just read that scripture?”
The Apostle Paul under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit was writing to the Corinthian believers about temptations, not troubles. He told them, “When you’re tempted, you’re not the first nor the last to face that particular temptation. God’s not going to leave you defenseless. He is faithful to give you a way out. You don’t have to say yes to it.” That’s what he’s saying.
The next layer of the myth is that when traumatic events hit, God is giving them to you. God gets the blame for so much He had nothing to do with causing. People make choices. Sickness happens. Tornadoes rip out neighborhoods. (By the way, just because people call it an act of God, that doesn’t necessarily mean it is one.) However, He has everything to do with helping us recover.
Now, here’s the tough part, but it has good news in it. The bad news? You WILL get more than you can bear – alone. Let me tell you from experience, some of the horrors life can hand you are just too much. They are humanly unbearable without human break-down.
The good news in that? When we KNOW that this is way more than we can possibly take, we are more likely to set aside the pride in our abilities and desperately throw ourselves on the God Who is our Strength, our Deliverer, our Healer. When you and I are fresh out of ideas, energy, and even the will to keep on – He breathes His breath of Life into our spiritual lungs. He makes a way, guiding our feet step by step up mountains too foreboding to cross on our own. And, He holds our hands and steadies us through the steep climb as we make our way over to the other side.
So when you feel as if you just can’t make it, when it seems that the burdens of life are heavier than your strength – know that you’re right! But those catastrophic happenings are nowhere close to His Strength – and that Power is freely available to You as you desperately rely on Him.
You will experience more than you can stand – but when you totally depend on God, YOU WILL STAND.
O God, I thank You that nothing that strikes my life is more powerful than You. I praise You that You never leave me defenseless, but You are my Shield and Strength. You are my Healer and my Deliverer. When I have no resources and always, You are my Provider. I cling to You, O Lord, and I trust You in this overwhelming challenge!
WHEN YOU FEEL THAT GOD HAS DESERTED YOU
The rain falls on the just and the unjust. Matthew 5: 45
Fear not, for I have redeemed you. I have called you by my name. You are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you. And when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned. The flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord, your God. (Isaiah 43: 1-3)
Yeah, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me. (Isaiah 23: 4)
I received a message this week from a Facebook friend who follows these devotionals. She spoke of being devastated after several tests by the news that she has cancer. Her emotions were all over the map, and in particular, she struggled with her feelings toward God. She felt deserted and alone, angry, and confused. Here’s an excerpt from her note:
I have had many crises in this life and never felt forsaken before this one. I knew what direction and what to do and how to marshall all resources. I never felt alone before this one. Any words of wisdom ? Can you do a blog on this? I alternate between angry and screaming at God and crying my eyes out . I have no words. Yeah, I know, ” He will never leave or forsake me,” and “He will never give me more than I can bear. ” I am numb inside got nothing inside or out. Thanks if you consider a blog on this subject.
Have you been in that place emotionally? I have. I have not had cancer, but I’ve had life strike and strike hard. Probably you have, too.
And yes, my friend, I will write about it.
First, let me tell you that you are not alone in the experience of having your life turn upside down. And when that happens, you feel powerless and out of control. That makes it tempting to lash out at the One Who does have power, for you believe that He could have and should have prevented the problem. Even for believers in Christ, these and other all-over-the-map emotions are common when they’re initially hit with potentially catastrophic news. Feelings are reeling, and it’s hard to assimilate the new realities.
Some well-meaning folks will tell you, “Everything happens for a reason.” This implies that God gives you cancer or some other destructive process so that He can teach you a lesson or for some other nebulous reason. Truth is, there’s a big difference in His giving it to you and the miracle that He can bring good out of whatever happens to you or through you. Sometimes we are “victims” (though we must be careful not to assume the victim mentality) of the fact that in this season of the world, sickness and disease are rampant. We may suffer because of the choices of others. We can be doing the best we know how to do, and our dearest goals don’t seem to be working out.
God does not perpetuate or inspire evil. Sickness was not present on the earth until sin came in. I AM NOT SAYING that people who get sick do so as the result of having sinned, and the sickness is some kind of punishment. I just believe that it’s important to know that disease is “out of order” (dis-ease), and that Jesus took stripes on His own body so that we could have access to His healing power. It was in coming to this deep knowledge and belief that I was healed of “incurable” systemic lupus some 40 years ago.
We live in an earth that has not yet been fully delivered into its new and healthy form as it will be upon Jesus’ return to it. Sickness strikes even “good people.” Acts of nature can suddenly rob us of our possessions and even our loved ones. Our kids and grandkids can make poor choices that break our hearts. This isn’t divine punishment, nor is being spared indicative of divine favor. (The rain falls on the just and the unjust. Matthew 5: 45)
God doesn’t necessarily “give us” horrible things in our lives “for a reason.” But the truth is, nothing can occur in your life, nothing, from which God is not able to extract good as you lean into His arms rather than railing or running. When the whole world is shifting under your feet, He is constant. And yes, He will never leave or forsake you. Maybe some say that tritely or as a platitude, but it’s truth.
I love the way Isaiah reminded us that not if but when we experience hardships and trials, God will be right there to keep them from taking us under. Note the fact that in Isaiah 43, the writer keeps saying “through.” We won’t avoid troubles as we would prefer, but He’ll Love and sustain us through them.
Fear not, for I have redeemed you. I have called you by my name. You are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you. And when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. (You won’t drown.) When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned. The flames will not set you ablaze. (You won’t burn up.) For I am the Lord, your God. (Isaiah 43: 1-3)
The amazing thing is, if you don’t allow yourself to become bitter (the steps beyond when anger becomes habitual), and if you refuse to fall into chronic self-pity, then this, even this can be a place to grow in faith. I’ve observed that traumatic events are almost a crisis of faith; your faith will become stronger or weaker, depending on how you work through the spiritual and emotional implications. I can tell you from experience that becoming stronger through the process of tragedy is possible when you run to God and not away from Him. Not only can you deepen your understanding of His faithfulness and grace, you can become better equipped with the compassion needed for hurting others.
I’m realizing that this response is growing long, but I’m not done. There’s more to say about desertion. And, I haven’t talked about this misquoted, misunderstood statement, “God won’t put more on you than you can stand.” And, I haven’t emphasized yet about Jehovah Rapha, the God Who heals.
So, more tomorrow…
O Lord, how I long for each person to know and experience Your constant and unfailing Love! Reveal Yourself, O God, as the Healer and not the destroyer, the Friend and not the foe. Thank You for walking with us through everything, even through the valley of the threat of death. I pray for my friend, Lord, and for every person reading this devotional who is reeling from a hurt. Heal us all, O God, inside and out.
IT’S ABSOLUTELY AMAZING GRACE!
But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. (I Corinthians 15: 10)
As God’s co-workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. (II Corinthians 6: 1)
I was reflecting this morning on a conversation I had with a friend who had experienced God in an astoundingly fresh way. This had happened in what she would have believed was the most unlikely of revival times – a period in which she had no doubt that she deserved God least.
(News flash! We NEVER do!)
You choose an action that by repetition becomes a path, a road that leads away from God. Anyone taking bets would lay odds on your ultimate destruction. Then God “does His thing,” and the turnaround gradually unfolds.
Without getting too specific, this girlfriend had made some mistakes that haunted her, and she feared what would happen if these came to light. Well, they did, as they often do. At first, all of this struck terror in her heart. She feared that her life and her future were over. Though she was remorseful and even self-condemning for making the mistakes in the first place, she desperately threw herself into the merciful Arms of God and gave the situation and herself to Him. (This is key!)
One by one, she talked with the people involved. She thought of ways to rearrange her life to accomodate the challenges she would face. This intense, prayerful reflection brought to mind ideas and possibilities she would never have thought of in calmer, more self-confident, and less chaotic times. Sometimes crisis is the catalyst for the boot out of ruts and for the vision of life at a different angle.
Over a period of months, some amazing things have occurred. “Coincidences” too strange to be such have popped in. The unmistakable signature of God is written all over the progression of events. As I marveled with her at all that had taken place, we agreed. Only God could take a potentially “fatal” situation and turn it around so that my friend will not only “make it.” She will even be better that she was before she lost her footing and headed down the slippery slope.
My girlfriend’s situation is not a fluke. I’ve seen it happen over and over, and I’ve experienced it myself too many times to count. The turnaround will not happen overnight. Sometimes it even takes years of perspective to see it.
However, the beautiful news is, when you genuinely and totally yield yourself to the God of mercy and grace, something miraculous happens. You don’t go under; you go through and over to the other side. You’re not destroyed; you’re renewed in God. That which the enemy of your soul gleefully intended to destroy you is upended. Instead, God uses even that to build within you a new strength of character, an intense thankfulness for His grace, and a determination to fully invest your life for good.
Can you testify from experience to this? Do you need to experience it now?
O God, when I think of all the times Your “crazy” Grace has lifted me up out of my hard-headed ways, I am astounded at Your Goodness and Your LOVE. I even thank You for the consequences You’ve allowed me to feel because You want better for me. Thank You for not giving up on me and on Your plans for me. Thank You, Lord, for your amazing Grace!
BETTER WITH AGE
Those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bear fruit in old age. They shall be fresh and flourishing. (Psalm 92: 13-14)
I cringe when I hear someone talking about being too old to dream, to begin something new, or to step out and take a risk. Baloney! It ain’t over ’til it’s over! And the ages at which people decide they’re over the hill amaze me – 60, 50, even 40. They think old, they feel out of the loop, and the body falls in line with how they think and feel.
The scripture says that “trees” that are planted deeply in God will continue to flourish, even as the years pile on. When the prophet Joel was discussing the New Covenant, he was clear about old men and women dreaming dreams. It’s never too late to commune with God, hear His Voice, and stand ready to act on your world. It matters not how small or how large your assignments. God know what you are capable of in Him when He schedules divine appointments and allows you to feel the breeze from open windows of opportunity.
When you think about it, the latter half or even the final quarter of the life of a believer IS prime time. You have more experience than you’ve ever had before. You’ve made many mistakes and hopefully learned from them. You’ve gained greater perspective and understand more about what’s really important. You’ve gone through enough struggles in your life that you’ve learned to pray, and you’ve learned Who to trust. You have a growing network of people you’ve met in all the seasons of your life. All of that, surrendered into God’s Hands, can be used significantly to make a difference.
About three years ago at a family reunion I encountered a third cousin who made such a difference to me in our brief conversation in a swing on the deck of my uncle’s house. I had been in a period of fervently asking God for direction for my season of advancing years in my life. I’d never met Cousin Mary Margaret, an attractive and energetic woman in her late 70’s who’d had an intriguing history working in education overseas. She was in the process of making a geographic move to live near her daughter in Mississippi. In the course of our conversation that went deep in a short span of time, Mary Margaret told me, “You know, I believe life is like a football game. In the first quarter, the players run onto the field, eager and ready to beat the other team. They play hard, and then it’s second quarter. They keep up the momentum, trying their best to rack up those needed points. Then it’s half time, and they stop and assess with their coach where they are. They come back out and try again. They might actually be a little tired and not do so well in the third quarter. But that fourth quarter! That’s when they come out full force, give it their all, and hold the field tightly and advance the ball boldly. The fourth quarter is the time to pull out all the stops and give it all you’ve got. That’s what I’m doing with my fourth quarter.”
Mary Margaret’s metaphor was just one of the ways God spoke to me at that time to assure me that He had much more for me to do in His Kingdom. The same is true for you. If you’ve been questioning whether it may be all over for you – no matter what your chronological age – take heart! You may be at a short break, but you’re not at the end unless you have quit breathing.
Make up your mind, which is where much of “feeling old” germinates, that you are going to live while you’re living and refuse to “die” before your time.
God’s not through with you, not at all!
O God, I thank You that life in You is never boring! You always have a surprise delight, a new challenge, or a faith renewed up Your sleeve. I praise You that You are at work in my life and through my life at every age and in each advancing season. I will continue to allow You to plant me firmly in Your soil, to provide the needed water and nourishment, and to cause me to flourish.
THAT MOMENT WHEN…
you realize that you stumbled to the kitchen and pushed the coffee pot button, then you are gonna rest for JUST A MINUTE while the coffee brews. You have a gradually breaking awareness that it’s daylight outside – not a good sign. Not a good sign at all.
I have to rush around now and get to the Mississippi Coast to spend the day in jail (doing criminal evaluations). Hopefully, they’ll let me out one more time, and I’ll actually wake up and stay awake at the 4: 15 alarm tomorrow. When all of that happens, devotionals will resume tomorrow.
Sorry!
Knowing When NOT to Quit
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. (Galatians 6: 9
Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. (Romans 5: 3-4)
Someone out there is saying, “O.K., Bev, make up your mind! Yesterday you told us there’s a time to quit. Today you’re saying we need to persevere. So which is it??”
I don’t have the answer for you about a particular decision or situation in your life. That is between you and God. But this I know. Sometimes when you believe you don’t have an ounce of personal energy left, you have to hold on! You have to draw on a Strength that is not your own and breathe in the Oxygen of the Spirit and put one foot in front of the other and keep walking. Yes, there’s a time to let go, and there’s a time to persevere.
So how do you discern which is which? When is perseverance wha’ts essential to the building of your character, to your positive influence of another individual, and/or the fulfillment of God’s plans?
1. When life has crashed around you. Believe me I know from personal experience, one day you can be on top of the world, and the next day the world can be on top of you. Your emotions or your body or both are shattered, and you don’t know how life can ever be the same. (It won’t, but God will bring you through and restore meaning and a strong sense of purpose.) Suffering doesn’t go away quickly sometimes. But I learned that as you cling to God when everything else is shifting, He is so, so faithful to His Word. When it does not feel as if you can take another step – don’t quit. Don’t give up. He will bring you through this if you trust Him.
2. When you’re working toward a God-given goal. God calls us to stretch! As in the physical, our spiritual and emotional muscles are strengthened by resistance. Saying yes to the challenge rather than the comfort chair is how we grow. As we mature, we’re called to longer-term visions that don’t manifest overnight. The skill of breaking the calling down into smaller steps, each challenging but not overwhelming, is an important component of outlasting frustration. Staying completely attuned to God’s “next steps” and fully plugged into the Power Souce is essential to refusing to quit until you’ve completed the mission God gave you.
3. When the Lord has not released you. It’s this key point that prevents me from being able to discern for you when it’s time to let go or when you need to hold on. In your regular, intimate time with God, has He given you His Peace about the release? Or when you honestly open your heart to His will and His Word, is His whisper to you, “Stay in there. I’m at work. It’s not time to quit.”
And may I make one final point? Even when certain chapters of your life close, your life has not ended! As long as you are still breathing, you have purpose. Though the landscape of your life may appear unfamiliar to you, God’s not scratching His Head. God is lighting a new path for you as you trust Him. Though at times you may quit a method or even leave a person who is toxic to your life, you don’t quit life!
Though soul-shaking earthquakes may occur, and you may experience (or choose) changes you never imagined, our God is constant. Listen, trust, and walk!
O God, I need discernment from You about all the decisions and investments of my life. I know that nothing can happen to me that stumps You. I trust that You are guiding my steps, even when it’s so dark I can’t see. When it’s not time to let go, God, please infuse Your Strength so that I can keep going another day. I want only Your will in my life, Lord. I trust You.
KNOWING WHEN TO QUIT
Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3: 13-15)
Over and over I hear it.
“I’m not a quitter!”
Well, good – IF you understand what being a quitter really means. However, misinterpreting that concept can keep you in destructive situations or activities that have outlived their usefulness, eons after you should have been long gone.
Being a quitter does not happen because you make a correct judgment call and quit doing something. It does not happen when you wisely observe a depressing pattern and decide to leave there and seek a more helpful environment. Addiitonally, when you leave behind a poisonous relationship in a determination to fulfill your God-given responsibility of taking care of yourself – that doesn’t make you a quitter.
Some people rarely stick with anything. At the first sign of discomfort, they’re ready to bail. When it’s time to step up and do the right but difficult thing, they turn and run. Commitments habitually mean nothing to them. They are quitters!
I have a sneaking suspicion that’s not you because you’re reading a devotional to try to learn and improve yourself. That’s not the typical M.O. of a quitter.
God often tells us to leave something behind to reach for what He has for us. Letting go frequently requires holy courage. Moving on to the next divine assignment involves letting go of where we were last focused. Growing into a new season requires leaving the old. Quitting can be a very godly thing to do.
Is God tapping you on the shoulder and pointing you in a new direction? To go somewhere new, you have to leave somewhere old. A wise saying is, “You can’t steal second base with your foot still on first.”
There’s nothing shameful about quitting. The wisest people know how to do it. Don’t let the myth that quitting something applies the accurate label that you are a quitter. It just may be that you’re the one with your ears most attuned to God’s fresh instructions.
In Mark Batterson’s excellent book, Chasing the Lion, I was captured by a thought-provoking statement:
“If God has released you, then continuing to do what you’re doing isn’t faithfulness. It is disobedience.”
In irder to “press on,” you have to be willing to leave something behind. You have to know how to quit.
Lord, empower me to persevere when You still have me there, even if it’s hard. But also teach me to let go when it’s time. Deliver me from falso notions about “being a quitter” and from foolish pride that keeps me hanging on when a season has passed. You know Your plans for me, O God! Help me to be sensitive to and courageous about following them!
ONE DAY, WHAT WILL YOU REGRET?
Make the most of every opportunity. (Colossians 4: 5)
Be very careful then that you live, not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity. (Ephesians 5: 15-16)
Social scientists have studied the thoughts that people report about their reflections on their lives. The research found a fascinating distinction between individuals’ short-term versus long-term regrets related to action and inaction. In the short run, folks wished they had not taken certain actions, made certain mistakes, or “missed the mark” in something they chose to do. They regretted what they did more often than what they didn’t do by 53% as compared to 47%. However, the scientists observed a significant shift in the data as the years of life ticked on. Over the long haul, 84% of people regretted what they did not do versus a mere 16% remaining focused on foolish actions they had taken. Interesting.
This day, this week you will be bombarded with a cacophony of voices vying for your attention, each trying to pull you in their direction like a mad street vendor. Some “voices” will insist that their urgency and importance demand the investment of your time and money. The problem is, each choice you make has two sides to it. There’s only so much of you to go around. You can’t do it all. You are chosing to do something, but in the choosing, you are also electing not to do something else. The hidden price tag, often ignored, is the opportunity cost.
So one aspect of that regrets problem is the unfortunate human tendency to plan to do that later on, as soon as – the rush dies down, when I get these few things out of the way, or when I’m more certain it’s what I’m supposed to do. Tick, tick, tick.
Another contributor to missed opportunities is the failure to distinguish “urgent” from “important.” Many activities that cry out to be tackled right now have no long-term significance. On the other hand, investments of more long-term importance may wait on the sidelines, growing more impatient by the week and month and year because they are passed over again and again. Tick, tick, tick! The ingredients are being mixed to cook up long-term regrets of the 84%.
A third culprit is the failure to see and embrace a great opportunity when God presents it to you. It looks good, and something stirs within you. Could this be a divine nudge? But then the negative voices from your past, the raspy one whispering from your own emotional throat, and the voice of the enemy of your soul all chime in together.
“You failed before. What makes you think you could do it this time?”
“Whoa! This is way over your head!”
“This is too risky.”
“What will people think?”
If you listen to the voices, you can talk yourself right out of the amazing opportunity God has placed right in front of you. Saying no, either directly or through procrastination, can result in a lifetime of, “What if…?”
Has God been speaking to you about something He wants to give to His world through you? Sure, it’s more than you can do. But God’s definitely not in over His Head! In addition, anyone who ever did anything worthwhile has also experienced failure. Setbacks are only the catalysts for comebacks when God’s in control! And the opinions of others? How much can that matter in comparison to your fulfilling God’s given dreams and significant assignments? Jesus didn’t please everyone either.
Has this e-votional spoken to you about a particular “something important” that you’ve been pushing back or neglecting? This day, this week, what are you going to do about it?
O God, it seems now the years tick by in fast motion. At the end of my life, I want to know that I have said YES to Your vision which most often has in it assignments over my head. I have learned that’s when I must get my pride out of the way and rely on YOU. I know I’ve missed many divine opportunities in the past, but I don’t want to miss a one from here on out. Lord, You know that I try to cram too many items into my to-do list. Help me to slash it down so that I focus and invest in what matters most to You! Lord, break my heart for what breaks Yours!
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