Total Pageviews

Friday, January 23, 2015

14/365

January 14, 2015

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:1-2

Have you ever felt like giving up?  Who hasn't?  There are moments in my life when I commit to something and in the beginning it all seems great.  Then somewhere in the middle, I ask myself, "Why did I commit to this?"  At the moment, the here and now immediate gratification seems to out weigh the potential end reward.  I even find that telling myself, "If you give up now, you most likely will not reach your goal" isn't enough to keep me motivated.  I want what I want and I'm just tired of waiting for the unknown.  Things may get tough or slow, and I just get tired of working and waiting.  Besides, how do I know I will get the end result I desire or expect?

What would have happened if Jesus quit before going to the cross?  What if He got so frustrated or fed up with the process He went through, that He decided to quit?  Then what?  Where would we be?

He was beaten, scourged, mocked, spit on, and hung on a cross.  All this occurring after He experienced an all night prayer vigil in the Garden of Gethsemane.  He even prayed and asked God if there was anyway for Him to remove the responsibility from Jesus (Luke 22:42).  But He did not, and Jesus accepted that.  It was the Father's will.  So he never quit.  He set His mind on the end result, let go of anything else He may have felt and moved forward.  Because we were worth the sacrifice to Him.

Jesus must be the example we follow when things get tough.  When we feel like giving in, we must keep going with the end result in mind.  He endured the cross despising the same and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.  Rest assured, the bigger the goal, the bigger the struggle.  But remember Jesus and the sacrifice He made for us.  If He was able to endure a cross, we are able to endure what is necessary to accomplish what we set forth to do.

PAG

No comments:

Post a Comment