TO THIS END I LABOR, STRUGGLING WITH ALL HIS ENERGY, WHICH SO POWERFULLY WORKS IN ME.’ COLOSSIANS 1:29 NIV
Do you want God’s best for your life? The path of ease won’t get you there, the path of sacrifice will. It’s not easy to rise early while others sleep in order to prepare for the challenge. Like Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, you’ll discover it’s hard to find people willing to stand with you in your times of testing. But there can be no celebration without preparation! Everybody wants success but not everybody can handle it; some would rather have tranquility. They don’t like criticism and they can’t take pressure. But if you’re the kind of person who isn’t satisfied sitting on the sidelines – go for it! If you have the passion the price won’t stop you. Passionate people are drawn and driven toward the goal (See 2 Corithinans 5:14). Some days you’ll have tears in your eyes and dirt under your fingernails. But in spite of the scrapes and bruises you’ll have a joy that causes you to sing at midnight like Paul and Silas, and a sense of mission that makes you cry out like Isaiah, ‘[Lord], Here am I, send me’ (Isaiah 6:8 NIV). Nobody said it’s easy. Some days all you can do is – stand! When you cannot seem to put one foot in front of the other – stand! Realise there’s never been a day that lasted forever. Don’t give up and don’t give in. Bite your lip, taste your tears and stand on what God has promised you. And remember, you’re not operating in your own strength: ‘To this end I labor, struggling with all His energy, which so powerfully works in me.’