Category Archives: motivation

No Wimps Allowed

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I can’t remember how many times I’ve started working out – again.
Seems like at least once every year.  Sometimes spurred on by a New Year’s resolution.  Other times just by the size of my gut.
OK.  Mostly by the size of my gut.  But that’s beside the point.

I’ve been wanting to start again for a while now.
But I’m full of excuses
Evening won’t work ’cause I won’t be able to sleep.
Morning just won’t work. Period.
I don’t want to take time away from the girls.
I want to spend time with Regina.
I’m too busy with the church.
Blah. blah. blah. blah. blah…

Then, this morning I woke up at 6:15.  I just woke up.  I knew I should go downstairs andwork out.  But I decided to lay back down in bed and work on convincing myself that I should try to sleep.
Didn’t work.Instead,I felt like a wimp.
I don’t like to feel like a wimp.
Ever

Lately, there have been several areas of my life that have seen the same kind of wimpy attitude.  And I decided this morning that today is the day to let the change begin.  I’ve spent enough energy trying to stop it.  God has so much in store for me and it’s time to work with Him rather than against.

Change is in the air – it’s time to start becoming what God has intended rather than what we settle for.
Who’s with me?!?
Who else is done with mediocrity?
Who else is ready to embrace the greatness that God has in store?

Let’s take some first steps in His direction.

Prayer AND Work

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I must admit.  There are days when I just don’t feel like coming in to the office.  I’m sure you’ve got those days too.  Days when you just don’t want to do it all over again.

The weekend is never long enough to truly give refreshing.

But especially after a working weekend, it can be increasingly difficult to push through the fog and remember why you do what you do.  So, it’s easy to just pray that God will help you get through.

This morning – still haven’t had my coffee yet, so the fog is still pretty thick – I was reminded of a concept that God pointed out to me a couple weeks ago in my study.  In Nehemiah 4:7-9, one word changed my view of this passage.

AND

You see, Nehemiah and the remnant of Jews were rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem.  A difficult task in itself.  And they were facing opposition and threats.  But in the middle of this difficulty, in the midst of the fog and confusion and doubt, they redoubled their efforts.  They committed to accomplishing the task that needed to be done.

Verse 9 says, “But we prayed to our God AND guarded the city day and night to protect ourselves.”  My emphasis on “AND.”

The remnant building the wall knew that they needed God’s help and blessing.  They knew that God could and would join them in their situation.  But they also knew that they had to do the hard work.  They had to give God the chance to JOIN them.  He can’t join you in completing the task if you haven’t started, if you haven’t dedicated yourself to it first.

AND.

So, today I will pray that God will help me in the midst of the fog.  Help me to see.  Help me to focus.  Help me to overcome and triumph in the daily tasks that lead a step closer to completing the greater calling.

I will pray.  AND.  I will work.  I will redouble my efforts so that He has somewhere to join me.  I will push through the difficulty and into the joy of collaboration with God in His purposes.
What do you need to do so that the AND of prayer will give God the opportunity to join with you?