I'm an American Idol fan. The TV program is created around a great premise. Find people in America with vocal talent; bring them together to compete, and turn the winner into an instant celebrity with name recognition all over the United States. Just about everybody knows about McPhee and Hicks today. Who's going to be this season's winner? I say Taylor Hicks, but we'll know tonight. Randy Jackson, one of the judges of the competition, sometimes tells one of the performers, "It was a rough start, dog, but you worked it out!" What does he mean? The performer kept going when the song was falling apart, when the pitch was off, when he missed a few words. And, as he kept singing, he fixed the mistakes, adjusted pitch, got better - until he found his way to a big finish and wild applause.
I find that there are a lot of days in my life when I have to just keep going, praying that the Lord will help me to get things worked out, how about you? There are mornings when I wake up feeling like staying in bed. I stumble over my sinful nature getting angry, letting myself go negative, wandering into greed or doubt or self-pity or laziness. I go to work and waste the first half of the day in meaningless stuff. I start the week on a bad note and wake up on Thursday, still singing off-key. Or, somebody decides to try to make my life miserable and no matter what I say or do, they just won't quit. Does that ever happen to you? Sometimes I think to myself, 'wouldn't it be wonderful if there were no battles, internal or external?' But that's not life in the real world. From the first gasp to the last wheeze, if we want to live the way God plans, we will be working it out - patiently dealing with the sins, the obstacles, the disappointments, the temptations, the tests, the people who provoke... with the help of the Holy Spirit.
The Bible encourages us with these words from Jesus Christ- “I know all the things you do, and I have opened a door for you that no one can shut. You have little strength, yet you obeyed my word and did not deny me. ... Because you have obeyed my command to persevere, I will protect you from the great time of testing that will come upon the whole world to test those who belong to this world. Look, I am coming quickly. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take away your crown." (Revelation 3:8-11, NLT)
Few things in life that have significant value are accomplished without sustained effort, patience for the long haul. There is nowhere that is more true than in our Christianity. If we want to please God, we have to be willing to work it out! "Patient endurance is what you need now, so you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised." (Hebrews 10:36, NLT) Take a tip from Randy Jackson and just keep singing 'til you get it worked out. Keep asking God to help you win over that habit that you know grieves Him. Keep loving that teenager, that spouse, that neighbor - who makes your life so difficult. Keep serving others with the gifts that God has given you, even when it seems that nothing is being accomplished.
Here's a word from the Word. Meditate on it for a few moments right now. Invite the Holy Spirit to use it to strengthen your resolve to remain faithful to Christ while you 'work it out!'
"... be careful to put into action God’s saving work in your lives, (work out your salvation - NIV) obeying God with deep reverence and fear. For God is working in you, giving you the desire to obey him and the power to do what pleases him. In everything you do, stay away from complaining and arguing, so that no one can speak a word of blame against you. You are to live clean, innocent lives as children of God in a dark world full of crooked and perverse people. Let your lives shine brightly before them. Hold tightly to the word of life, so that when Christ returns, I will be proud that I did not lose the race and that my work was not useless." (Philippians 2:12-16, NLT)
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