You Can’t Succeed if You Don’t Try

How many of you have quit before trying? Perhaps you’d made a decision to try a new eating plan. I prefer not to use the word diet. Maybe you were going to start exercising. Or, had you finally decided to change a behavior, such as getting angry quickly, gossiping, or procrastinating. Then, before even getting started you stopped. You decided you would wait until a “better time”, yet that better time doesn’t ever seem to come.

Well how can you succeed if you don’t even try? Everything that we do begins with a thought in our mind. If you’re anything like me, you have a thought, then tell yourself that’s a great idea. You begin planning, in your mind of course. You tell yourself, I’m going to do this, I’m going to do that. You’re excited. Then what happens? Either you act on what you have thought about, taking action steps, or you let the thoughts remain in your mind.

Well, this year I’ve decided to act upon everything I believe God has placed in my spirit. I’ve told you I’m a believer. I believe everything God says. I trust Him and I want Him to trust me. I’m seeking Him. I’m praying for direction and guidance. I’ve asked God for the Wisdom of Solomon and the favor of Joseph. I am persevering. As I’ve shared with you on a previous call, quitting is not an option.

I pray after listening to the quitting is not an option conference call you too have decided quitting is not an option. Let’s face it life often gets in the way of our movement towards our destiny. What do I mean by life? I’m referring to the day to day activities that we’d rather not do, but for one reason or another we must do. In many cases it’s our job. You know the one. It’s the job that pays the bills even though it may not be our passion. For some of us it may be things like going to the grocery store, cooking, cleaning, and doing laundry. It could be homework, a second job, and in extreme cases eating and sleeping. My husband gets so involved with his music that he practices for hours on end, then realizes the day is almost over and he hasn’t eaten. Now I definitely don’t condone this behavior, and I have spoken with him about ensuring he eats.

Sometimes we may become so involved and focused on our passion, or the desire God has placed in our hearts, that anything that takes time away from what we love doing feels likes it hindering us or taking up too much of our time.

That’s where balance comes in. Like it or not there are things in life other than our passion that require our attention. The key is to find time to do them all, while not allowing the things we are required to do to make us anxious, or consider them as a hindrance. Remember, they are part of our lives, and our journey.

We must remember that God will always sustain us and provide for us. He will enable us to use the gifts He has placed in us. He has a plan and will always bring it to fruition. Philippians 1:6 being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

Regardless of what is going on around you God will always make a way. 

To listen to the message in its entirety click on the link below and select You Can’t Succeed If You Don’t Try.

http://www.gretahillman.com/#!audiovideo/cd8l

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Are You Ready?

The other day my sister asked me to let her dog out of the house. She had been gone most of the day and did not anticipate arriving home in a timely manner. Now you must know Jazzy, my sister’s dog. If any of you have dogs you know they have their own personality and many of them just as Jazzy does think they are human.

Jazzy saw me walking towards my sister’s house and began barking. When I opened the door Jazzy was glad to see me. Usually if you ask her if she wants to go to the mail box she will follow you. This time she didn’t. My sister asked me to pick up her bag of dog food and walk towards the door to see if she would follow. Jazzy just looked at me. I asked her if she wanted to go outside. She laid down on the floor and turned her head away from me as if to say I’m comfortable just where I am. Go away. My sister asked me to put her on speaker thinking if she heard her voice she could coax her into going outside. Again, Jazzy gave me that you can go now look, so I left.

Jazzy was comfortable. I’m sure if she really needed to go outside she would have gone outside.

How many of us are comfortable so we stay where we are?

While pursuing our passion, dream, vision, destiny, many of us are employed in full time jobs which I believe are part of our journey otherwise we wouldn’t be there. Depending on the job, we may put in 40 hours a week or more. We are comfortable because we have income, a means of supporting ourselves and our family. But how much time are we committing to what we know God has called us to do and instilled in our hearts?

Many of us, me included struggle with our commitment to what we know will bring us a satisfaction that only comes with fulfilling our purpose. Our excuses vary. We don’t have time, we’re too tired, and/or we don’t have the money. We also have doubt. What if I’m not good enough, what if I fail, what if this really isn’t God? Excuses, Excuses!

How many people that don’t believe in God succeed because they apply His principles? Have you ever listened to a successful entrepreneur or business owner talk about what makes them successful? Whether they realize it or not they are applying sound business principles which come directly from the bible.

Paul said in Philippians 4:12 I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.

It would be foolish, unless instructed by God, to quit your job and follow your passion full time, but what are you doing to prepare yourself?

What if you woke up tomorrow morning to find all your bills were paid, you had an unlimited line of credit for which you were not responsible for repaying, and a note which read do it now. What would you do, after picking yourself up off of the floor of course?

Are you ready? Can you step out of the door right now and begin doing what you know, that you know, that you know, you should be doing?

In Matthew 25 we read the parable of the ten virgins.

Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.

² And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.

³ They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:

⁴ But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.

⁵ While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.

⁶ And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.

⁷ Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.

⁸ And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.

⁹ But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.

¹⁰ And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.

¹¹ Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.

¹² But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.

¹³ Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

 

I would like to liken the coming of the Son of man to your opportunity to do what God has called you to do. Will you be ready? Are you like the wise virgins or the foolish virgins? Do you have oil for your lamp? Are you doing everything you need to do so that when your opportunity presents itself, when your gift makes room for you and brings your before great men you will be able to step into your rightful place?

Are you responding like Jazzy when she heard my sister’s voice trying to coax her to go outside? Turning your head the other way, waiting for more than a voice?

God speaks to us in many ways. He is coaxing us by giving us a heart or passion for whatever it is that He has called us to do.  He speaks to us through His word, other people, circumstances and situations. I believe He is speaking to you and me right now through this blog. Will you take heed, be bold, confident in God’s plan for your life, and move out of your comfort zone, or will you rest on your laurels, slumber and sleep as the foolish virgins?