Novelist Orson Scott Card made a interesting observation in regards to sacrifice. “Happiness is not a life without pain, but rather is life in which pain is traded for a worthy price.” Whether you are referring to freedom of speech, defending a just cause or standing up for what you believe, nothing is accomplished with a cost.
Perhaps, your reputation takes a hit, attacked by those with opposing views. Or friendships are estranged as your worldview comes in direct conflict with a person you care about. Either way, actions, choices and decisions will create enemies, hatred or jealousy. What you need to determine is… is it worth the price?
When becoming of disciple of Jesus became popular, motives for following were mixed. Some wanted to join because it was cool, others for the fame and a few for the right reasons. Thus, Jesus set the bar high in Luke 9:57-62, causing many to quit, unable to pay the price. Whether you are excelling as an athlete, student or servant, to become the greatest in anything takes unswerving devotion. May you consider the costs, make up your mind and take a leap of faith, paying the price today to achieve a better tomorrow.
There are moments in life when you are at the right time and place. However, if you are on the verge of doing something special, obstacles such as awareness, discernment and time can be hindrances. Depending upon the state of your emotions, you might just miss a golden opportunity to accomplish God’s will.
I can recall several encounters with people over the course of my life. Some of these friendships never developed because I did not make a good first impression. On other occasions I sensed the leading of the Holy Spirit, yet an individual or stranger was distracted by trials in life. If I was more prepared or they were spiritually sober, perhaps my life would be much more engaging, full of conversational experiences.
Despite my past failures, I did make the most of one opportunity. While attending a youth ministry conference in Chicago, I happened to meet my future wife. The atmosphere at this facility made it conducive to slowing down to meet, interact and develop permanent meaningful lasting relationships. Little did I know that one of the girls in my small group would become my soul mate. Similarly, if you have failed to cease the moment like me, apply the words of Colossians 4:2-6 so that you won’t miss the opportunities that the Lord provides.
You don’t have to be in high school to discern whether or not you belong. Based upon your personality and the people you encounter, conversations and friendships can quickly turn into tug of wars, seeking control. My own defense mechanism causes me to begin cautiously, often listening more than talking before opening up. However, once I feel comfortable in a certain setting or group of individuals, my true identity shines through.
However, there are many things which wage war against your soul in this life, making victory elusive, 1 Peter 2:11. Depending upon your motivation or degree or perseverance, many give up, throwing in the towel before they taste success. When you add this factor to the excess baggage people carry from their past, reaching the summit of John 10:10 seems unrealistic. Spirits of doubt, failure and pessimism imprint a loser mentality upon the souls of many. Instead of claiming the promise of Philippians 4:13, a lack of faith prohibits these bystanders from obtaining joy.
So how can someone establish a foundation for victory? What must one do to turn their fortune from failure to celebration? A Calvinist will say you don’t have a prayer; you’re either chosen or not. The Arminian will disagree, claiming everyone has a shot. While God’s grace does play a major role in victory, Ephesians 2:8, there is more as acts of contrition and penitence demonstrate whether or not someone is on the right track, James 2:26. From my own journey, below are essential ingredients which have put me into position to achieve victory.
1) Like Jesus, you need to find a quiet place, seeking solitude daily to get your heart and mind in the right place, Luke 4:42.
2) You need to find and or develop friendships which elevate your self-esteem and spiritual hunger, Acts 2:42-47.
3) Fill your idle time listening to uplifting music whether through Pandora, Radio Stations or You Tubes that will get you through each day, filling your mind with wholesome lyrics and thoughts, 1 Samuel 16:23.
4) Try to read a chapter of the Bible daily which will enhance your faith while transforming your mind, Romans 10:17.
5) Spend time each day in some form of recreation, whether running, working out and investing in a hobby which makes you happy, providing a sense of accomplishment daily, 1 Timothy 4:8.
6) Once a week, write down, preferably in a journal, goals that you want to fulfill before the day, week or month is over. This exercise provides needed vision for the future, Hosea 4:6.
7) Devote time once a month either helping, serving and volunteering within your church or community. It’s better to give than receive.
May these ideas inspire you develop your own daily/weekly disciplines and practices which will lead you toward a foundation for victory. May God honor the commitments you make to better yourself in 2014!
For most of my life, stubbornness prevented me from trying new things. As a result, I became limited in my hobbies, being contempt with being a sportsaholic. This choice narrowed my scope of friends as I allowed myself to stay set in my ways. A few stints of unemployment beginning in February of 2012 forced me to try new things, surprising me with several new interests.
With time on my side, I took a vested interest in gardening as I began to dabble in cooking, using the crops from my garden as main ingredients. A new ipad, a birthday present, spawned a desire for photography, downloading the latest apps which I used on our trip to California earlier in 2013. While not a strength, I created some you tubes, with the most successful one being my home made salsa recipe. As in cooking, the finest things take time, often relying on trial and error before you discover the perfect mixture, temperature and exact time.
As the prices of food continue to skyrocket, I have begun a new venture to start making some of my favorite dishes from scratch. Recently, I have perfected a homemade recipe for french fries with a youtube in the near future. Potato chips are still a work in process as a rotating system needs to be adjusted to get each row to bake at the some temps. Pizza and popcorn are on the agenda, depending how tired I am with my new position at Amazon. If you are like me, don’t let instant gratification get in the way of enabling you to achieve your dreams, regardless of the time it takes.
For most of my high school career, I was quiet, comfortable living behind the scenes. However, during my senior year, I became an active participant in student government, helping build our home coming float and decorate our spirit hallway, developing solid relationships with several of the 300 students within my class. Yet, somewhere between this final year of high school and my 5 years of college, I allowed time to influence the depth of my friendships.
Studying, sleeping and self-indulgence led me to lose touch with many of my class mates. Every once in a while, I dedicated time to write letters before the days of email and the internet. Those friends nearby I tried to call, but as I tried to keep some of these relationships alive, I realized it wasn’t humanly possible. Thus, I gave up trying, going from being Mr. Social to Mr. Anti-Social in just a few short years.
Last night, as I touched base with some friends on Facebook, a thought came to me. “Life is too short to not invest time into people.” Yes, there will always be commitments, emergency’s and the routine’s of life, but God created us to be in communion with one another. Therefore, I am going to make a conscious effort to connect with those people the Holy Spirit draws me toward. Although I can’t change the past, I hope to make up for lost time by cultivating new friendships and strengthening current relationships, Ecclesiastes 4:12.
ExpressYourself4Him 