I love to be motivated and challenged. Jesus, hands down, was the greatest motivator to ever walk the planet. He led by example. He spoke with authority. He stood for what He believed. He accomplished everything He was sent to do. Did you catch that? He accomplished EVERYTHING He was asked to do by His Father. Check out what Jesus prayed in John 17:4, "I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do." He accomplished His goal, completed His task, and fulfilled His purpose. And His desire is that we are motivated, inspired, and challenged to do the same!  

Fear, regret, and doubt are major obstacles in our lives when we think about fulfilling our purpose. Jesus was able, as He allowed the Holy Spirit to lead Him, to never regret a decision or allow doubt and fear to control Him. He asked hard questions about His purpose (Matthew 26:38-39), and the Bible is very clear that He faced doubt and fear, but by the power of the Spirit He overcame it!  

Jesus wrestled with hard decisions, felt strong emotions, and the Bible says that He faced everything we will face. "This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most."(Hebrews 4:15) Why did He do it? First and foremost to be obedient to His Father, and then to allow His life to motivate us to realize we can overcome too! Check this out...

In John 14:12 Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father." I've quoted this verse many times, but to be honest, I really didn't take the time to get the deeper meaning until recently. The word "greater" in the original language doesn't mean better or more powerful, but it actually means "on a larger scale" or "more opportunities for 'great' things." It doesn't mean that we will do "greater things" than Jesus accomplished. What Jesus was actually telling us is that all He accomplished and was able to do because of His Father working through Him is now available and possible for us because of His presence in us. He wanted us to realize that what He did in 2-3 years, in one specific area, would become a continual, greater, work going on and on through us for generations to come all around the world.

This verse should be one of the greatest motivational statements we've ever read! When we face any situation or circumstance, that is unique and specific to us, we can call on His name, by faith, and miracles will begin to happen! Then His desire is that we would proclaim to everyone around us, as the Psalmist did in Psalm 124, "If the Lord had not been on our side..." we wouldn't have made it. We give Him all the glory as His power flows through us to accomplish His perfect will in our lives! (Romans 12:2)  

I shudder to think about how many "greater works" have been lost in time because I allowed doubt and fear to consume me. So many opportunities wasted because I lived life feeling sorry for myself with my head hung in regret and shame. It's an ongoing battle, but the Words of Jesus Christ still ring true today and they should motivate us toward the next "great thing" He has for us.

It may need to start with simply, turning from our old life, choosing to believe, and by an act of faith receive His payment for all of our sins as well as the Way to an abundant and eternal life made available for us through Jesus. That was the greatest work of all on our behalf. After we are certain of that decision, then we can begin to experience the "greater works" that relationship opens up for us.

• A husband and wife choosing to take steps toward restoration.
• An addict honestly seeking help.
• A single mom realizing she can pursue her dreams in spite of her difficulties.
• A physical healing manifested as a result of courage and audacity to truly believe for the impossible.
• A supernatural provision received after a decision, by faith, to press on toward what God is saying, even as other voices are saying it's impossible.
• Choosing to give what God says to give, regardless of the circumstances.
• Simply getting up, walking across the street, and praying a prayer for someone that we have been putting off for months.
• ____________________________________________________________?

I can't tell you what your "greater work" is today, but I encourage you to fill in the blank above. And I pray, as I hit send in a few minutes, that this Word of encouragement will fulfill the "greater works" it was intended to do before time began too.

"Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think." Ephesians 3:20


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How many times have you had some well-meaning soul tell you, "Hang on just a little longer, because better days are ahead!"? I always smile and respond appropriately, but what I want to say is "Really? Wow! I didn't know that. Thanks for sharing and everything, but would you mind taking your smile and 'words of encouragement' and jump off a bridge or something? Because it sure doesn't feel like anything 'better' can come out of this mess I'm in right now! I sure wish I had it all together like you do, but I don't!!" I'm glad people don't know what I'm actually thinking. If we are going to dig deeper, we have to acknowledge a couple of hard truths. God DOES know what we are thinking, and He DOES work all things out for the good of those who love him. (Romans 8:28) It's still not easy, is it?  

In II Corinthians 5:6-7, Paul said something pretty amazing. He wrote, "So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. For we live by faith and not by sight."  

I heard these verses in a message recently and the words that stuck out to me were "always confident." I've heard verse 7 "we walk by faith and not by sight" over and over again. I've even quoted it many times, but, if I'm honest, I have struggled to have confidence. Instead of "always confident" I find myself using other words to describe myself like, "always doubting", or "always afraid", or "always questioning", or "always confused".

When I read these verses in context with everything else that Paul wrote, I began to understand how Paul was able to be confident. In the verses preceding 6-7 Paul talks about the hope we can have in the future as a believer in Jesus. Check out II Corinthians 5:1-5. Paul describes a new home, a new body, and "better days ahead".  In verses 4-5 he tells specifically how he was able to be confident in the midst of the struggle. Take a minute and DIG into this thought, "While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it's not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life. God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee he has given us his Holy Spirit."

You see, Paul groaned and sighed too, just like we all do, but his attitude and thoughts had been transformed (Romans 12:2). He recognized why he was groaning. He dug deeper to see the real desire of his soul. He understood that his dying body, filled naturally with doubt and fear, was in the process of being "swallowed up by LIFE" and transformed. God's presence IN HIM, the Holy Spirit, was guaranteeing him that things were getting better with each step he took BY FAITH toward the promise of a new day in the future! Do you see it?

It's ok to groan. It's ok to be sad. It's ok to acknowledge pain & struggle. We just have to recognize, as Paul did, that our groans and sighs come from a deep place in our souls too. A place that knows this isn't the way it was meant to be! As the Holy Spirit awakens us to that truth, as ONLY He can do, we can then begin to walk, stumble, and even crawl at times, BY FAITH, toward what is ahead with confidence that what Jesus said in John 16:33 is true.  "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

Yep, Better Days Really Are Ahead! In fact, they are already here. As we choose to keep moving forward in faith and obedience, with Spirit filled Confidence, our Father will open doors that cannot be closed and close doors that cannot be opened (Isa. 22:22. Rev. 3:8) leading us into His perfect will & plans He has prepared in advance for us. (Eph. 2:10)


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When the Holy Spirit leads us to take a step of faith, we have to acknowledge these truths. We will battle obstacles, discouragement, and failure. The enemy will not give up that ground, along the way to God's will for our lives, without a fight. The Lord uses the journey to equip us for what He has called us to do. That's why Jesus said, "I have told you all  this so that you may have peace IN me. Here on earth you will have many trials and troubles. But take hear, because I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)

The enemy will use anything and anyone to get us to turn back toward what is comfortable and familiar. A comment, phone call, financial crisis,criticism, negative people, past issues, past failures, etc..He will use whatever means necessary to cause us to give up on the "good things God planned for us long ago." (Eph. 2:10) The enemy is cunning and crafty, and he wants us to desire what is good over what God says is best. As w simply face normal daily challenges, that are a part of life, and the enemy will attempt to overwhelm & confuse us. He wants us to quit. He wants us to seek the acceptance of the ordinary over the rejection we may will feel on the road to the extraordinary. He wants us to quit. DON'T!  

When we are as certain as we can be of God's call and direction, have tested and proved His call through prayer and God's Word, and have the agreement of our spouse\family and wise Godly counsel around us...We must KEEP GOING! Abraham did. Moses did. Noah did. Rahab did. Esther did. David did. Peter did. Paul did. Elisha did. Jesus did! Faith walkers you are in good company!
(Hebrews 11)

*Did God call you to stay home with your kids, but now things are tight and voices around you are telling you it isn't practical & to get a job? KEEP GOING!
*Did God call you to walk away from a great salary & benefits to begin moving toward what He designed you to do before time began? KEEP GOING!
*Did God call you to stay true to your marriage and fight to make it work in the midst of more obstacles and battles than you think you can endure? KEEP GOING!
*Did God call you out of an environment that was unhealthy and damaging to your life and family, but you continue to be drawn back to what is unhealthy? KEEP MOVING FORWARD!
*Did God lead you away from addiction & compulsions that were destroying your life & family, but today the addiction seems better than the struggle? DON'T GIVE UP! KEEP GOING!  

You see, God allows us all to wrestle and work out His call daily, so that His strength can be made perfect in our weakness. While He is working to build our faith, the enemy is trying to influence us to give up on God's purpose. The Holy Spirit's wants to sanctify & form us into the image of Jesus as He leads us toward God's purpose & will for our lives. The enemy's plan is to keep us comfortable & pacified in what is familiar, so that we never become as effective as God intended  for His glory. Look at what Paul told the people at Philippi and Corinth...

"Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him." (Phil. 2:12-13)

"Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, 'My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.' So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong."(II Corinthians 12:8-10)

Why am  I writing this? Because I faced a situation today that was meant to distract and move me from God's purpose for my life. BUT Today, because of the power of the Spirit within me, I was able to stop, pray, hear God's voice, be reminded of His Word and promises, hear Godly counsel, and keep going. This post is the result. This is part of our call. Donna Little Carroll &: I have been called to awaken others as we are awakened to God's truth and purpose for our lives. We must KEEP GOING too!

There have been many days when I have faltered, swam in self pity, and felt sorry for myself. There have been many days that I wanted to quit too, give up, and "go back" to what was familiar. There have been many days when I have screamed toward the heavens, "Where are you?!?" But, what I am learning is that God really is faithful. He really does provide. He really does heal. He really does love me. He really is there.I have the faith within me, but God wants "faith to become sight." We are being prepared. As a friend told me recently, "Steven, you will speak for 20 minutes with authority about 20 years of experiences God has brought you through, and the result will be changed lives." You see, the journey is worth it. Our stories will be used to help others as they struggle too.

To close this, Let's pray a prayer together that a dear mentor & friend used to tell me to pray often years ago. It's a simple prayer. "Lord I'm willing." No matter what things look like...I'm wiling. No matter what others say...I'm willing. No matter how dark it may look...I'm willing. Take a minute and remember all the times you've seen Him be faithful. He will be faithful today. Remember what God said to us through His prophet Habakkuk....

"This vision is for a future time. It describes the end, and it will be fulfilled.
If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently, for it will surely take place.It will not be delayed." (Habakkuk 2:3)

KEEP GOING...Be blessed.