The dreams God has placed in your heart, and the promises he has spoken to you are not going to come to pass without opposition, without a time of waiting, without people trying to talk you out of it. There will be plenty of opportunities to get discouraged, to lose your passion and to think that it’s not meant to be. However, if you are going to achieve God’s best in those areas of your life that seem challenging, you must tell yourself that giving up is not an option. The scripture says “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me? Jeremiah 32:27
Giving up after the first time, the fifth time or the 70th time, what that means respectfully is that it was not that important to you! You should not be moved by how impossible it looks, you should not be discouraged by how long it’s taking, you shouldn’t give up because people told you no, your attitude is, “If I have to believe my whole life, giving up is not an option. I am not going to take no for an answer, I’m not going to settle for less. I’m going to keep pursuing what God put in my heart”.
You can’t be passive and indifferent, you have to have a holy determination. It’s more than just your will, it’s a fire on the inside, a knowing that Rehoboth is just ahead of you! And when everything says it’s not going to happen, instead of getting discouraged, you kick into a new gear. Normal people would give up, and normal people would end it there, but you are not normal. You want it on another level.
To what extent do you want what God has put in your heart? Enough to outlast the opposition? Enough to overlook some insults? Enough to do the right thing when the wrong thing is happening? Do you want it enough to keep pursuing it even when circumstances say it’s not going to happen? Many of the challenges we face, the waiting, the times it’s not fair, that’s simply a test. We are proving to God how much we want it.
You have to be more determined than the opposition. If you give up every time things don’t go your way, you don’t want it enough to have it. You have to tell yourself, I know what God has spoken to me. I will get well. I will accomplish my dream. I will meet the right person”. You are not moved by what is not working out, by how long it’s taking, or by who is not for you, you know who is for you; the Almighty God is for you.
The scripture tells us about a blind beggar named Bartimaeus. When he heard that Jesus was passing by, he started shouting, “Jesus, son of David, have Mercy on me”. The people around him told him to be quiet”
The more they tried to keep him quiet, the scripture says the louder he shouted. About that time, Jesus stopped, turned, and looked at him. “Tell him to come to me”. They brought him and Jesus said to him: what is it that you want me to do for you? Bartimaeus said, “I want to see”. Jesus told him, “Go your way, your faith has made you whole”. Instantly he could see. (Mark 10:46-52)
Here is my point: there were other blind men on the road that day. There were other sick people in the crowd, yet Bartimaeus was the only one who was healed, why? He wanted it more than they did. He wanted it so much that he didn’t let people talk him out of it. When they tried to push him down and discourage him, he shouted even louder. If he would have listened to them, he would have missed his miracle. Are you letting people talk you out of what God put in your heart?
Ignore what they are saying. They don’t determine your destiny, God does. But if Bartimaeus would have been passive and indifferent and thought, “Hey, I’m blind. It’s just a challenge in my life”. He wouldn’t have received his sight. He had this passion, this fire on the inside that said, “This is your day. This is your time”. He rose and took that step of faith. And if you are going to see what you believe in, you have to be willing to do what other people won’t do.
The Scripture says that Daniel distinguished himself. He was so excellent in his work, so sharp, and had such a great attitude that he stood out among all the other young men. The king put him in a position of great leadership. But it doesn’t say God distinguished him, God made him excel, God made him stand out, it says he distinguished himself. He was willing to do what the other young men wouldn’t do. It wasn’t so much that he had more talent, more skill, it was the fact that he wanted it more than they did. (Daniel 6:3)
WANTING IT MORE!
“Well, pastor, I know these friends aren’t good for me, but I like being around them”. Respectfully, you don’t want the best of God in that aspect of your life… God is not going to free you until you want it more. When He sees you doing all you can, then He will make things happen that you can’t. However, if you are not willing to do the natural, you can’t trigger the supernatural, and your destiny is too important to spend it with people who are not making you better. Who are you allowing to influence you? Are they challenging you, inspiring you, pushing you forward? You don’t have time to waste with people who bring out the worst in you?
“Well, what if I hurt their feelings”? What if you miss your destiny? What if they keep you from becoming who you were created to be? They may not want it more like you… They may be okay with mediocrity and compromise and barely get by in life. That’s their choice, but that’s not who you are.
You have seeds of greatness, you are destined to leave your mark. You weren’t created to fit in, to be average, to live with addictions, dysfunction, lack, and struggle to have peace or joy in your home, you were created to stand out in the crowd and be at your best. Now, do your part and distinguish yourself, be willing to do what others won’t do. Yes, it takes discipline, yes, you have to say no to carnal desires, but the pain of discipline is less than the pain of regret.
Someone may say it’s not easy for him to be completely committed to his spouse and not cheat or flirt around but that moral discipline is less than the pain of having someone you love walk away. It’s hard to lay off junk food, and things that are not good for you, that pain is less than the pain of not being healthy. It’s hard to break away from a friend that’s pulling you down, but that pain is less than not reaching your dreams. And one of the saddest things is to come to the end of life and wonder what I could have become.
You don’t have to wonder, you can start right now. It is not too late to become who God created you to be. The question is: to what extent do you want it? Stir your passion up. Make this decision: I am not going to live complacent, accepting mediocrity, passive, I’m going to pursue what God put in my heart. I’m going to take steps to grow. I’m going to come up higher in my relationships.
The difference between a dream and a wish is something you just hope happens, but in a dream, you put actions behind it. The Scripture says faith without works is dead. (James 2:17) He could have wished he could get a job, wished for a happy marriage, wished he could go to school. Wishing isn’t going to get you anywhere. He was willing to do what others wouldn’t do. The people who succeed don’t always have the best talent, the best education, the best opportunity. Many times they simply want it more than others. You have to pursue what God put in you. Jesus says, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.” (Matthew 5:6)
Here’s the principle, if you are not hungering after anything, you are not going to be filled. Are you hungry to get well? Hungry to accomplish the dream? Hungry to meet the right person? You can teach people to have faith, you can encourage them to believe, but you can’t make people hungry. This has to come from the inside. You have to know that you are a person of destiny and that there is something bigger in front of you. To what extent do you want it, Have you let people talk you out of it, challenges, disappointments, steal your passion, or cause you to settle for less?
Your will is one of the most powerful things you have, and when you make up your mind to do something, God will breathe efforts into it and give you strength that goes beyond your natural ability. It’s not just willpower, it’s the blessing of God helping you, but it kicks in when God sees you doing all you can do, taking steps to come up higher, forgive the person who did you wrong, forgive yourself for your mistakes and try again after a disappointment. That’s when you will see God make things happen that you couldn’t make happen. I wonder if you have convinced yourself that you can’t do something that you really can do?
“It may not be easy, but your destiny is calling. You have greatness in you. Don’t let people talk you out of it, and don’t let circumstances convince you that you can’t… There are new levels in front of you. There are great relationships, healing, promotion, and abundance, my question is to what extent do you want it? Tell yourself today that Giving up is not an option. I am sure that a made-up mind person is reading this message… So, I decree and declare that you are going to see God suddenly turn things around and you will step into a new level of your destiny in Jesus’ name.
The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; The Lord lift His countenance upon you, And give you peace.”
