“I followed my God wholeheartedly . . give me this hill country.” Joshua 14:8/12 NIV
“Doing the difficult is where you find God, who can do the impossible.”
My thoughts today are about “doing the difficult.”
It is natural for a person to want the easier path, but that is not where success nor satisfaction is found. Life’s opportunities are usually tucked into challenging times and situations. Pride of accomplishment is most found in doing what you should when you must, not in doing what you would. Doing the difficult is where you find a God who can do the impossible. See Luke 1:37/Matthew 19:26 NIV.
You will face times that require tough choices, having to choose between what you want to do and what you need to do. The first gives you pleasure immediately; the other is satisfying long term. Always choose the latter. Life will present opportunities with little risk, but those offer only small reward. Take the road less traveled. It will be less crowded because it has greater risk. Most people avoid anything except minimal risk, and in doing so most will miss the greater rewards.
Jesus described life’s choices this way, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” Matthew 7:13-14 NIV. Don’t get lost in the crowd; follow the Lord. Jesus was describing eternal choices, but the principle is true of the ordinary, everyday choices you have to make, everyday things that may appear as little, even inconsequential, yet those shape your character and create your future in ways you do not notice at that moment.
Those little choices determine the person you will be, the respect and regard you receive, the opportunities you are given, and the success you will have – choosing to do simple, ordinary, everyday things like: being on time, keeping your word, fulfilling your obligations, being considerate of others, saving consistently, giving generously, spending moderately, keeping first things first, living wisely, and always doing and giving your best – especially when no one is watching. The character and measure of a man or woman is not determined by what they do in the big moments of life; those are few. You will be the product of what you did along the way in the routines of each and every day.
Where others turned back in fear, Caleb pressed forward with courage. When others settled for easy conquests, Caleb requested the difficult ones. When some deferred the challenges, Caleb preferred them. Caleb refused to play it safe, or take it easy. Here is Caleb’s choice, “I am just as strong today . . just as vigorous to go out to battle now . . give me this hill country that the Lord promised me . . because He followed the Lord wholeheartedly.” Read Joshua 14:6-15 NIV. Rugged places are for rugged people. Such people carve out victories where others see only obstacles and risk. Be sure that you are “following the Lord wholeheartedly!” God put a bit of a Caleb spirit in you!
My prayer for you today is that you prize achievement more than you fear risk.