Make EVERY effort

We finished Priscilla's He Speaks to Me last night at Bible study. Next week is spring break, and then I'm up. I'm excited. Anxious and humbled to have the privilege to teach God's Word and desperate to handle it with care, but excited.

As I was glancing through my workbook yesterday and reviewing all I'd learned to make note of my one thing...

[pause to encourage you--again, if I've already done it--can't remember!] WRITE IN THE FRONT OF YOUR BOOK! Write your name and the date and where you did the study. And then write down the lesson you've learned, the one thing you never want to forget. Make note of the page number so you can quickly find that special word God spoke to you through the study.

...I saw something I'd underlined about how we often want to cut corners in our faith. Here's what she said on day 3 of week 3: "In fact, if we are painfully honest, I suspect we would like to 'cut corners' when it comes to living a sanctified life. Subconsciously we ask ourselves, 'What can I do to just get by as a Christian?'"

I had a conversation with a friend last night after we finished. A conversation about calling and about temptation and sin. NOTHING is worth blowing your calling. 

Just getting by doesn't fulfill your calling--and, yes, you have one.

Here's the scary thing. God can accomplish his purposes with or without us. He can call someone else if we choose to compromise what he's called us to do. His will WILL be done.

We need to make every effort to make our calling and election sure. EVERY effort. Not a half-hearted, when we get around to it and don't have anything else to do kind of an effort. No, we EAGERLY make EVERY effort.

So that's my prayer this morning. To hold my calling in high esteem. To value it and give it my all. To refuse to compromise it. To not cut corners but to press into the corners and live it fully. That through his divine power he will make me eager to make every effort to fulfill my calling.

When we do, his Word promises that we will participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption caused by evil desires. That we will be kept fro being ineffective and unproductive. That we will NEVER fall. That we will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Today's a new day. Make every effort as you rely on his power. Be eager. Hold onto his very great and precious promises. Your calling has value. Don't compromise it.

 

 

Comments

[Helen at A Work of Heart]

Aaaahhhh Joanne,

I really needed to read your words this morning. I am not sure why at times it seems so easy to see someone else's calling and be a cheerleader but drop the pom poms when it comes to my own. Thanks for that encouragement.

I am totally sharing with my Bible study next week your idea about writing down the lessons learned in the front of the workbook...such a valuable and great idea.

Hugs to you my friend,

Helen

[rhonda]

Thank you for sharing! An word in due season for many of us I am sure.

[Nikki]

Ditto the comments above. I really, really needed to hear that today. Thank you for writing so eloquently and directly.

[Kim Feth]

The words 'make every effort' in English are from the one word, I think, spelled 'agonitsimi' (can't recall exact spelling). It means 'as if in a fight for life, or a top athlete at an event'. It's where we get the word 'agonize' from. That's how I like to think of it. I need to put in such an effort as to agonize over it. I also would need to agonize over taking the easy way out. I like the way you said it!
Peace,
Kim Feth
Apex, NC

[Mandy]

Thanks a bunch for these words today (though I'm late in reading them, I'm glad I did!)! I am finding at this stage in my life I'm truly pressing in on the corners as you said, but occasionally I find myself a bit envious of those who i look at and think they must be satisfied at 'just getting by'. And it isn't a judgement on them, it's just that I feel like God is working so hard on me constantly that it's exhausting! Does that even make sense?! Thanks for the example of one who's walking in her calling!

[Joanne (The Simple Wife)]

"It's just that I feel like God is working so hard on me constantly that it's exhausting!"

Oh Mandy, I feel you there!

And yet, I want it. I want to be aware of how God is working on me, what he's teaching me. I never want to not have an answer when someone asks what God is doing in my life.

Joanne