This morning we continue our series, “Grace that is Simply Amazing” by continuing our mini-series entitled, “Grace Based Success (Prosperity)”. I thought about getting back to Peter this morning, but since it’s Friday I didn’t want to start anything at the end of the week. So I asked the Lord what to say this morning. He led me to simply share my heart with you this morning, so I will. On this Friday morning I will give you a few thoughts about being fully committed.
1. God’s grace does not exonerate you from hard work. I was thinking about this because my wife and I are on the road. I preached Wednesday night and I will preach again on Saturday night and Sunday morning. Isabella is preaching today and Sunday morning. We are retired. We are “taking our break” before starting anything new. We are basically on vacation. But we are working hard. Working hard on what? Working hard on our divine assignments. Wednesday night, after preaching, I got to bed late. When it came time to get up early to do Today’s Word, I didn’t “feel” like it. My body wanted me to remain in the bed, but my Spirit is too committed to my divine assignment to ever lay down on what God called me to do. I’ve been doing Today’s Word for over 18 years. I’ve been preaching all over the world while working a full-time day job and dealing with the challenges of raising a family. I don’t share this to complain. I share this as a reality check. God never promised you a cake walk. God never said your life would be a perpetual picnic. God called you to do something while you are on this planet and you must be committed to it. He has given you the grace, but you must provide the resolve and commitment required to keep going when the pressure is on you to give up, cave in and quit!
a) God’s grace is not an excuse for laziness.
b) God’s grace is not a license to sit back and wait on God and then blame Him when it does not work out for you.
c) You don’t get ‘days off’ from walking in your divine purpose.
d) You don’t get to retire from your divine assignment.
e) You must be fully committed to become the person God called you to be from the foundations of the world.
2. The grace of God actually empowers you to work harder.
a) You can’t work FOR grace, but you can surely work BY grace.
b) Paul said, “I am what I am by the grace of God. And his grace on me was not wasted. I worked harder than all the other apostles. (But I was not really the one working. It was God’s grace that was with me.)” (1 Cor 15:10). Paul worked harder than the other Apostles, and he acknowledged the fact that he was only able to do it by the grace of God. It was God’s grace on Paul, empowering him to do what he could never do on his own.
c) The grace of God comes to equip, enable and empower you. But for what? So God can then EMPLOY you in His Kingdom. God does not pour out His grace on you BECAUSE OF YOUR WORKS, but He certainly pours it out on you SO YOU CAN WORK!
3. Don’t ever allow yourself to come up with an excuse.
a) God used George Washington Carver to do amazing things with peanuts. He would sit in his lab with nothing but peanuts and his Bible. The Lord gave him hundreds of uses for the peanut. What God did through Carver is truly remarkable. But Carver knew he had a part in his success. Carver said, “Ninety-nine percent of the failures come from people who have the habit of making excuses.”
b) Joyce Meyer understands the relationship between God’s grace and our faith. She said, “We clearly see in God’s Word that anything He tells us to do, He will give us the ability to do it. But do we really believe it? Do we want to believe it? It’s easier to come up with excuses for why we can’t do things that are hard or that we really don’t want to do.”
c) If you are not careful you will allow your yourself to excuse yourself from your divine assignment.
d) What God has called you to do will require hard work, grit, determination, and tireless commitment. Now, the good news is that God is committed to you. He will do His part and His grace is available for you to succeed. But are you committed to you? Are you committed enough to reject excuses, even when they come from yourself? When your soul says, “I’m too tired,” or “Not today,” or “We can do it tomorrow,” will your spirit be committed to God’s divine assignment that you will override your soul?
*** Don’t accept excuses from anyone – even yourself!
Closing Confession: Father, I thank You for teaching me about Your grace and my requirement to live by faith. You made plans for me before the world began. You are tirelessly committed to those plans. You will never give up on me. You are always there and Your grace is always available. By faith I declare that I am equally committed. I am committed to becoming the person You called me to be. I am committed to making the most of the life You have given me. I am committed to my divine assignment. I am committed to Your Kingdom plans and purposes for my life. Your grace has not come to me BY work, but it has surely come FOR work. Therefore I work. I work hard by Your grace. Your grace for my life shall not be in vain. I shall become what You planned. I shall do what You dreamed. I shall leave a mark in this world that will never be erased. To do so I will never accept excuses, not even from myself. I will never sit down on my divine assignment. I will never retire from my purpose. I will live ON PURPOSE all the days of my life! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
