Devotional – Gusto!

Devotional

Big picture You only live once so give it your all.

• Q: Have you ever been around someone who just didn’t seem very interested in doing something?
  • Could you tell they weren’t interested because they weren’t giving their best effort?
• There’s an old saying, “You get out of something, what you put into it.” The Bible describes this principle using farming terms: “you reap (harvest) what you sow (plant).” Does anyone know what that means?
• Today, we would say that means, “it takes effort for something good to happen.” Or said another way, you cannot get the good stuff without effort. Nothing comes from nothing, nothing ever could.
• The reason this principle is important is because God wants us to do our best. He doesn’t want you to give a half-hearted effort. He wants you to do whatever you choose to do, including hobbies you choose, with your best effort.
• Why?
  1. Because, God knows you and me, and He knows the devil. He knows we all tend to be lazy and want short-cuts in life. And God knows the devil wants to rob you of any joy in life. He knows the devil is up to no good. So, those two truths add up to nothing getting done. No good stuff happening.
  2. God knows we will be filled with joy at seeing the works of our hands, like doing hobbies, creating something good, often unexpectedly good. Like building a really cool model or scoring a goal.
  3. You only live once. You only get one shot at life. Why settle for less than your best effort?
• Having the good things in life takes effort. There are no short-cuts.
• The teaching verse encourages us to remember that whatever you do, give it your very best effort. You will be rewarded for doing that. Maybe not right away, and maybe not in the way you expect, but in God’s timing you will see a reward.
• Don’t let that possible delay alarm you. Don’t let that keep you from putting in your best effort.
• The timing of your reward is not up to you. God chooses when you will see the fruit of your efforts.
• But you must trust that God is good, and that He will reward you for your best efforts. If you do your best, then leave the results up to Him. You do your part. God will certainly do His part.
• So, whatever hobby you choose, do it with all your might, with all you got. You will be glad you did!