Pages

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Make the Effort

Last night during Church we started talking about self discipline. It was someone else that spoke up for prayer in this area but in my head I was screaming "me too! I need self discipline too!!!"

I don't feel like I have any self discipline, if I start something I quit the next day ~ it's too hard, or I'm too tired or I just don't feel like it or is this really gonna make a different in the big scheme of things.

I'm full of excuses. I think God is dealing with me about this because it's been brought to my attention and put on my heart time and time again latley. I pray for growth but what am I doing to grow in this area?

As I was praying this morning, I asked God why I don't have any self discipline. Why it's so hard for me to finish something I start. I thought He was there to help me, I thought He gives me strength when I'm weak...let me tell you it didn't take long for Him to answer back at all.

He showed me that of course He's going to help me and of course His strength is perfect in my weakness but what am I doing to make the effort? He's not a genie in a bottle, He won't just snap His fingers and make me a running, exercising machine. I have to choose, I have to make the choice and then start. Only after I've worked and worked for a while will I start to see growth. Growth takes time just as in everything else in this life. If I start something then stop the very next day because I don't feel like it then I'm not going to see much growth am I. Disciplining myself takes time.

Do you need self discipline in something? Perhaps reading your Bible? Do you have a habbit you need to break? Make the effort today, choose today to do the right thing. Take it a day at a time, moment by moment. Don't even worry about tomorrow until tomorrow comes. Ask God for the strength to do the right thing today and then choose to do it.

Anything worth doing, is going to take a little effort on your part.

2 comments:

Jenifer Metzger said...

I struggle with this at times as well. I just don't make a big enough effort. But through Him, I can do all things! Great encouragement!

Unknown said...

Sometimes things just seem too big or too hard. And I'm like you - it's easy for me to give up when things are hard. But if God has called us to do something we can be sure that He will give us the strength needed to do it.