“There is one thing, Emma, which a man can always do, if he choose, and that is, his duty; not by maneuvering and figuring, but by vigor and resolution.”
– Jane Austen, Emma, chp XVIII

“To live as … authentic, ransomed, and redeemed [people] means to be real and present in this moment. If we continue to hide, much will be lost. We cannot have intimacy with God or anyone else if we stay hidden and offer only what we think we ought to be or what we believe is wanted.”
– John and Stasi Eldredge, Captivating, chp XII

“And let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary.”
– Galatians 6:9

“… whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”
– I Corinthians 10:31b

Do I live my life from the idea of just getting through, and getting through the easiest way possible? Or do I live from the idea of doing everything for God’s glory, no matter the cost or pain?
Living from that “idea” is not always easy. It is not always fun. In fact, it can be downright painful and messy. But oh, the glory! “In due time we shall reap” ……….. “if we do not grow weary”. Other translations read, “if we do not lose heart.”
It can be so easy to grow weary and lose heart when you are not sure of your mark, when you lose sight of your goal. Therefore, “[fix] your eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith… Consider Him who has endured … that you might not grow weary and lose heart” (Hebrews 12:2-3). Not only is He the One we are glorifying, He is also our Example, the One we are to emulate and walk after.

Sometimes it seems as if this desert time, this waiting time, or this time of agony, anguish and heartache will never end. “Do not lose heart.” It will end, it will pass. For everything there is a season, and seasons pass. Seasons change, and we are called to live in them, not looking back to what was or forward to what may be, but in them. In the “now”, knowing that the “now” is temporary and passes in the blink of an eye.

Can you trust God with your “now”? Can you release it to Him and live to His fullest glory? Can I?