Going Half Way

Romans 12:8 - If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging.  If it is giving, give generously.  If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously.  And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.

I have a bad habit that I have struggled to overcome.  I have a tendency to only do things half way.  The bigger problem I have is that I get bored with things (rather easily) and then look for something else to entertain me and occupy my time.

I have to be careful about this, because I don't want it to affect, or rather infect, my spiritual life.  The last thing I want to do is get bored in my walk with Christ.

God didn't go half way for me, or for any of us, and I have no excuse to be anything but all in for Him and His Kingdom.  He sacrificed His only Son for me.

I'm reminded of the story of the rich man in Mark 10.  He was happy to point out all the good he had done.  But Jesus knew his heart, and told him that he wasn't quite there yet, because he had been holding something back - his possessions (Mark 10:17-22).  The point of this isn't about selling everything I own, the point is not holding back from sharing the gifts and talents that God has given me.

I believe that I have been given the gift of encouragement.  God loves to show His sense of humor, doesn't he?  Anyone who says God doesn't have a sense of humor is wrong (look at the platypus...).  For those who know me, they know that I don't like people.  I really don't.  I don't have patience and tolerance for people, and I tend to get annoyed very easily (especially when I'm driving).

But the funny thing is, God put it on my heart a couple of years ago to go back to school and major in Psychology and Human Resources Management.  For someone that doesn't like people, what's that all about?!  But God loves people.  He knew about my love for learning and understanding, as well as my desire to help people better themselves.  I mean He gave me that love after all.  That was His gift to me.  I may not have realized that I had it at the time, but it has become very obvious to me now.

God also put it on my heart to take a class in Life Coaching last year.  After spending over a year without coaching anyone, I was ready to blow it off.  Suddenly, I had two life coaching clients.  I say suddenly, but we all know that God doesn't do 'suddenly'.  He had it planned that way from the beginning.

The point is, how easy is it for us to give up on things when we become bored or disenchanted with them, because they aren't happening the way we envisioned them?  For the first 34 or 35 years of my life, I was becoming an expert on giving up.  I became skilled at going half way and then getting bored and stopping.  God has not only blessed me with the gifts He has given me, but He has also been working to transform me into a new person by changing the way I think (Romans 12:2).

He is trying to do that with all of us.  We just have to let Him.  While it's very easy to give up and give in to selfish plans and desires, the beauty of letting God work in our hearts and through our lives, is that His only desire is to transform us into the perfect image of His Son Jesus Christ.  But that work takes time.  Paul reminded us that we are all works in progress that will not be completed until we meet Jesus (Philippians 1:6).  That may feel like it is too long to wait for some, but man it will be totally worth it.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your amazing patience with me.  Thank You for the gifts You have given me because of Your unfailing love for me.  I pray that I will remain steadfast in my love for You and Your people, and use the gifts You have given me to help build up the Body of Christ in whatever way You want me to.  I pray for those that struggle as I have with only going half way.  My prayer is that they will take some time to reflect that while they aren't what they should be, they are much better than they used to be, and that is because of Your amazing grace, mercy, and love that is born of Your desire to bring us all into perfection on that final day.  I pray they will come to You with a renewed heart to serve You and Your Kingdom with love like a fire that could never be put out.  In the name of Jesus Christ I pray, Amen!



God Bless!!!