I'm trying!

"Trying is just a noisy way of failing." I wish I knew who said that. I would like to give them credit. The truth is, I remember the pastor using this quote in a message a few years ago and it really stuck with me. I used to say the same thing. I even gave people a free pass as long as they were "trying". "I'm trying", "I'm doing my best but I just cant", give me a break, at least I'm trying". Have you ever heard any of these? Have you ever been guilty of saying any of these? Come on, face it. If your kids used these excuses you would say "you're not trying hard enough", or you might say, "well try harder because I know you can do it". We've all been at work and either been involved in helping train someone or we've been in management and were responsible for everything running smoothly. During those times, did you ever accept the mediocrity of "I'm trying"? No way! We never have and probably never will. Its just not in our genetic make up. We know we can do better. We know others around us can do better. We're only held back by our own limitations. The truth of the matter is, we can do anything we set our minds to. Figuring out the computer, trouble shooting whats wrong with the car, passing the exam at school, quitting a habit, losing weight, being kinder to others and the list goes on and on. We are always able to do whatever is really important to us. We train ourselves to be better and do better. Anything less is simply unacceptable. We will tolerate no less from those around us. Why is it that when God expects more from us, the first thing to come out of our mouths is "I'm trying Lord!" Don't be too quick to say you've never done this. Think carefully before you proclaim your innocence. Look, I'll be the first, again, to admit that I have been there. There have been times when the Holy Spirit has nailed me more than once about something in my life. I decide that I'm going to do exactly what God has told me to do but then in month or two the Holy Spirit comes back. He gently chides us and says, "you know better". We, in our most timid and humble voice speak back, "yes Lord, pleas help me. I'm trying." As my father used to say, "bologna!" Do you honestly think the Lord in Heaven believes that? If we don't accept that in our lives, why do we think the Lord does? I know, I know, the Lord is understanding and very long suffering. He's willing that none should perish. I get all that. I've heard that all my life too. Does long suffering mean willing to let us live under our privilege because we are too lazy to do better? The definition of long suffering is "slow to wrath". That doesn't sound like God is willing to let us live mediocre lives. That only means that he wont punish us harshly when we do. He doesn't like it but His patience far out shines ours. We may not spank our child every time they lie or break something but it doesn't mean that we are overlooking it. We tell them that we expect better from them and then we move on. Gods the same way. We may not feel the punishment of God every time we "mis-behave" but He is there gently chiding us with His spirit saying "you know better. I expect better." Eventually our patience runs out with our children and we must punish them to teach them a lesson. God does the same thing. Its not that He doesn't love us, He just cant accept "trying". I would like to see every one of us who claims to be a child of God, stop "trying". It does no good and it doesn't get us anywhere. If we would put the same level of expectations on our spiritual man as we put on our physical man, we would see great joy in our spirit and growth in Christ that we've never been able to achieve before. We wake up sick in the morning but we get up and go to work because we need the money. We wake up sick on Sunday morning and we stay in bed because we just don't feel good. Someone at work uses Gods name in vain. We stiffen up and say, "please don't use that language around me." We sit in front of the television or go to the movies and relax in front of people using the same kind of language. We stand up for our family or our loved ones and defend them with honor. We shrink in timidity when someone verbally abuses our Lord. I don't know why I said all that. I just think that our "trying" is so much less than what we could and should be doing for the Lord. Stop "trying" and start "doing". You would never let your children get away with less, quit asking the Lord to. I love you all. I'm working on it too. I don't want to "try" any more. I'm going to "do". Have a great week.

LW