How does a person become a great pianist? How do people become great ball players? How do people get good at a foreign language or pottery? Yes, all take work. Yes, all take a measure of skill to start with. However, regardless of skill or natural giftedness, all require that a person begins. It may seem simple, but I would guess that we all could do some things that we just have never started at. I could collect stamps, but I never started. I could raise butterflies, but I never chose to start.
Interestingly enough, when we think about following Jesus the same truth must be acknowledged. No one, no matter their ability or giftedness, followed Jesus well if they never started. Starting is key. We must start!
We read in the book of Hebrews:
But encourage one another every day, as long as it is still called “today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partakers of Christ if we keep the beginning of our commitment firm until the end, while it is said, “Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts, as when they provoked Me.” – Hebrews 3:13-15
This passage urges us to encourage each other to not put off responding to Jesus “today”. There are two big reasons for us to start today in whatever way that Christ is calling to us. First, responding to Jesus now is a sign of a soft heart. He warns that a symptom of a hard heart is dismissing Christ’s call to us. So, let’s start today. The second big reason we should start today is that saying we should start is not the same as actually starting. Procrastination gets us nowhere. It doesn’t make us better at anything. It certainly doesn’t help us grow in faith!
Many of us wish that we were better at praying or had more scripture memorized. Many of us who believe in Jesus wish that we were better at evangelism, or were more involved in ministry. Isn’t starting the key? The great men and women of faith all started somewhere. Years of following shaped and cultivated them. But, all of them started!
What about us? Do you want to know more scripture? Start today! Do you want to be a prayer warrior? Start today! Do you want to be a witness for Jesus? Start today! If you feel led by Christ to do something, don’t put it off. Start today! As they say in those advertisements for junk that we see on TV – why wait, start today!
The Hebrews passage urges us to finish well. We are told to keep our commitment to the end. If we never start, how will we ever finish?
Something to think about,
Pastor John
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