Episode 472: Whatever it takes

Summary: Are you feeling overwhelmed by a difficult season or struggling to find the motivation to keep pushing forward? You are not alone. In this episode of Grace Waves, we dive into what it truly means to step out of our comfort zones and do the hard things for God's Kingdom.

When the busyness of life and our personal problems threaten to hold us back, it can be tempting to give up or take the easy road out. However, as 2 Corinthians 5 reminds us, the love of Christ compels us to live for a greater purpose. Join us for a candid and encouraging devotional about laying aside our excuses, running the race with endurance, and trusting that God is equipping us to do whatever it takes.

In this episode, we explore:

• Counting the Cost: Understanding the divine assignment God has placed on your life and stewarding it well.
• Pushing Past Resistance: How to keep showing up for your calling even when you don't feel like it.
• The Compelling Love of Christ: Shifting our focus to live a life of purpose that goes beyond our day-to-day survival and comfort.
• Endurance in the Faith: Drawing strength from the Word to ensure we do not lose heart during challenging times.

Key Scripture References:

• 2 Corinthians 5:14-15, 17
• 2 Corinthians 4:1, 16
• Hebrews 12:1-2
• Hebrews 13:5

Connect & Support: If this message encouraged you today, please remember to like, subscribe, and share this episode with a friend who might need to hear it! Your support helps us continue to grow and share the good news of Jesus Christ.

Transcript

Introduction & Welcome

"And good morning friends, thank you so much for joining me on another episode of Grace Waves. It's so wonderful to have you here, and thank you so much for listening to this. Before we get into today's devotional, please remember to like and to subscribe to this channel, and please share it with somebody that you think can benefit and grow from being encouraged by this word today."

The Cost of the Calling

"So last night we had church, and I was preaching about the importance of understanding our mission, our divine assignment, our purpose, our calling that God has called us with, and being committed to that call. Jesus often mentions several times in the Bible—in the Gospels actually—that it is important that we count the cost and that we realize that following Him is going to cost us something. Right? Jesus said that if we do not pick up our cross daily, then we cannot be His disciples.

I want to read for us this morning from 2 Corinthians chapter 5. There is an important portion here. This week as I've been reflecting on, you know, doing the hard things... it's like this year has been such an interesting and difficult season, and I'm sure for many people, it has been very difficult. But it's like God has really just been talking to me about being willing to do the hard things, being willing to put in the effort for His kingdom, being willing to go over and beyond in what I'm comfortable with doing."

Pushing Past Resistance

"Like, even doing Grace Waves, I keep postponing it, I keep postponing it because it's not the ideal time, I'm not comfortable yet, you know, it's like, 'Ah, I need time... like there's too many things, I need to make sure that I provide for my family.' And it's like I've just realized in the last two weeks the importance of... like, doing whatever it takes. Right? Like Paul says, 'I became like a Jew unto the Jews, a Gentile unto the Gentiles, lawless unto the lawless, yet not lawless unto God... by whatsoever means I may win the more, that I may win some even.' You know?

So the question that I've been having on my heart is: am I doing whatsoever it takes? Right? Am I pushing myself to go beyond just the normal day-to-day things and just being captivated by my own problems and my circumstances? Am I so occupied with, you know, business and cash flow that I don't put in the extra effort to go beyond that and to make sure that... yes, there is the business and the business is God's business, I am just a steward, and in that stewardship, I'm also stewarding the things that God has given to me, which is the word of God as well."

Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 5

"And so this morning I want to share with you from 2 Corinthians chapter 5, and we're going to read verse 14 and verse 15. Very, very simple verse. Paul is talking to the Corinthians here and he says in verse 14:

'For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.'

And then in verse 17 it says:

'Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.'"

Driven by the Love of Christ

"You know, I was just thinking about this, like, 'the love of Christ compels us.' And that means, you know, that we don't live for ourselves anymore. And what does that practically look like? It means that I do the things that I sometimes, most often, don't feel like doing. I don't feel like recording these devotionals all the time. I don't feel like showing up for work. I don't feel like showing up for church always. I don't feel like praying always. But why do we keep doing these things? Because the love of Christ compels us. 

Why is that? What does that look like? It's like I have a mission, I have an objective, I have a calling from the Lord, and I need to live that out, and I need to purpose in my heart to do it by whatsoever means because the love of God compels me. If you compel someone, it means that you are... you are pushing them to do it. Right? Even if maybe there's resistance, but yet you keep on doing it."

Endurance and Purpose

"And I do feel like it's so important for us to realize that in our calling and in our walk with God, there's going to be difficult days where we want to give up, but we don't. Why do we not give up? Paul actually talks about this in 2 Corinthians chapter 4. In verse 1 he says: 'Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart.' And then again he says the same thing again at the end of chapter 4, verse 16. He says: 'Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.'

Right, it's like we have such an amazing purpose to live for. Like, your calling and your life is more than food, it's more than putting food on the table or money in the bank account, it's more than driving a car or having a job. Like those things are important, but Jesus said that if we seek the kingdom first, He will add those things. He said that if we put our eyes on Him, if we focus on Him in Hebrews chapter 12, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith, then, you know, for the joy that is set before us just like with Him, then we can continue and we can endure and we can push through the hard days so that we can enjoy the great days and so that we can see the fruit of what God is doing in our lives."

Closing Encouragement

"And I just want to encourage you today. Maybe you are in a place where you feel like things are too much. Maybe you feel like I have felt recently, like, 'I don't know anymore what I'm doing, I don't know... like, you know, it's like things just seem like nothing is working out.' But God is like really just putting in my heart, like, 'This is not it. Right? You're not going to just let the enemy win. You're not just going to take it lying down. You're not just going to let it slip.' No, you're going to fight for this. You're going to work harder. You're going to do what it takes. You're going to put in the effort. You're going to, you know, allow the love of God to compel you to do the things that is not for yourself only. It is like you're going to live a life that has purpose and that is for God and is not a life of comfort or weakness, but it is a life of strength through Jesus Christ.

And so I want to share that with you this morning. Be encouraged. God is for you. Hebrews 13:5, He promised He will never leave you or forsake you. Don't be discouraged by the circumstances. Keep fighting the good fight. Keep running the race. You know, lay aside the sin in Hebrews chapter 12 verse 1 and 2 that so easily besets us, and let us run the race with endurance, with patience. Right? And so let's continue with the Lord and remember what He has given to you. Remember what He has called you to do. Remember His promises. Right? And stand on those things, stand in the grace of the Lord, and continue walking with Him."

Outro

"Thank you so much friend for listening today. May you have a wonderful and blessed day. Please remember to share this with somebody that you feel like needs the encouragement, and also to subscribe to this channel and to the podcast, to the devotions. I would love to, you know, grow and reach more and more people, and every time you share or like or subscribe, it really helps us to share the good news of Jesus Christ. Until next time, God bless you."