Make Every Effort
“Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.” Said Thomas Edison. Who, after a thousand attempts, succeeds with the invention of the light bulb. Try just one more time!
The four guys carrying the paralytic in Mark chapter 2 understood this. Jesus is preaching to a packed house (literally). “Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd” the story continues with the guys making an opening on the roof and lowering their friend right-in-front-of Jesus. Jesus seeing their faith, He heals buddy number five, because they kept going—creatively going, one more time!
We are lazy people (in general) we give up quickly or keep our efforts minimal at best, after all, we wouldn’t want to exert ourselves (Phew). We take this into our God walk as well. Peter wrote, “By His divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life” (2 Peter 1:3, NLT). He continues, “In view of this, MAKE EVERY EFFORT” (v5a, emphasis mine). Give all diligence in making good use of what God provides, apply it—apply yourselves! Peter goes on, saying add to your faith; moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, brotherly affection, and love (vv 5-7).
Make every effort. I would liken it to the Israelites in the wilderness. God provided the manna to survive.* They were to go out and gather it, (yes, they had to work to get it) diligently they worked, adding to their jar each lil flake (Exodus 16). They wanted to eat, continue to endure? They needed to put forth the effort to obey and get what God provided.
YEARS ago, we played a computer game (without graphics—GASP!). The game was a journey where we had to make numerous decisions to lay down what was in our hands, to pick up something that benefited a successful journey. It is the same in our God walk. What are we going to lay down? What are we going to surrender to pick up what God has for us (moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, brotherly affection, and love).
Do WE put forth an effort to get the God stuff? Do we make time? Make room? Make it a PRIORITY to be in His word, talk to Him—obey Him! Or do we mess around, give lil effort or quit altogether. Our very thriving existence depends on the effort we put into it! One more time. Today. One more time. Tomorrow. (Repeat).
Oh, and as for the guys and his lowered down friend? At Jesus’ word, he jumps up, grabs his mat and walked through the stunned onlookers. “They were all amazed and praised God” (Mark 2:12). Those not giving up men with their (one more time) determination to get to Jesus, positioned all for a miracle. That miracle amazed the folks—which initiated praise. God doing a miracle in our own lives WILL catch the attention of others—to the glory of God.
Make every effort.
In Him, DeDe (“Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love & good deeds” – Hebrews 10:24).
*God also provided quail (meat) in the evening.
Inspired Fountain 