"Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the Lord is at hand." James 5:7&8
In all the talk about setting goals and "what do you want?" please don't forget one very important thing. Your faithfulness is necessary for planting, but not for yielding the harvest.
When a farmer plants, what then must he do?
He must wait. You also, be patient--just wait!
But the waiting is not passive. The waiting is very active. In the waiting, there are a million jobs to do, none of which produces what the farmer is waiting for.
In the waiting, there is one command. Establish your hearts.
Some of you are discouraged, even now, about the "harvest" of your new lifestyle. But, Friends, your harvest is not even close. This is just the waiting. Each faithful step you take, it leads you closer to the day of the harvest. Each time you water the a good habit, each time you fertilize the soil of your hearts toward being obedient in your eating and lifestyle, each time you build one another up, each time you fill your heart and mind with truth, each time you change the script you have with yourself...you are closer to the harvest.
Wait...like a marathon runner waits for a finish line that still has not yet been determined. Run and keep running. Do not LOSE HEART, rather--STRENGTHEN YOUR HEART!
Endurance leads to blessedness and we cannot fathom the great rewards that are ahead for each on of us. They are much greater than a healthy weight, or a healthy mind, or healthy finances. You will receive what was intended for you by the Lord!
Ann Voskamp had a touching blog post the other day about a man named Cliff Young. Cliff Young has something to teach us all about running through the dark times. I encourage you to read his story here (it is short): How To Get Through the Dark Places.
okay.... Wow! I needed that! I needed some perspective! thank you, starting my day in tears, but a healthier perspective! love you sister...
ReplyDeleteThis is awesome. This is true. Loved the story, too - especially the lines about "Sometimes the best training for the really big things is just the everyday things" and about not losing ground in the dark. This health journey really is a race of perseverance, not sprinting. I love how you put into new words something we need to be reminded of often. We work on our hearts and obey God and He takes care of the results. Love it!!!
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