Tag Archives: determination

February 1, 2023 · 5:43 AM

Even Though

In 2008, Heather Dormiden was running the 600 meter race for the Big Ten championship. She was out front with about 200 meters to go when she tripped and fell flat on her face. Instead of being mad at herself or being embarrassed and staying down, she decided to finish the race. Team points were important and her university was close to the top. She had to finish to get any points. She began to sprint as fast as she could. She started passing other racers which made her push harder. In the last 50 meters, she said she found a gear she didn’t know she had. Hearing the roar of the crowd energized her as she sprinted towards the finish line. To everyone’s amazement, Heather won the race even though she fell because she didn’t give up when she fell down.

In Genesis 39, Joseph’s brothers resented him. He was clearly his father’s favorite son out of 12. He had been given a bright, colorful coat so all the world would know it. Then he started having dreams that his brothers and his parents would bow down to him. The brothers had enough. They seized him and threw him into a cistern while they decided how to kill him. A caravan was passing by on its way to Egypt when they decided to sell him as a slave. He was purchased by a man named Potiphar and put to work. Instead of sulking and being bitter, he worked hard. Verse 2 says, “The Lord was with Joseph, and he [even though a slave] became a successful and prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master, the Egyptian” (AMP). Joseph prospered even though he was a slave because he worked hard where he was and received the Lord’s favor.

Proverbs 24:16 says, “For the lovers of God may suffer adversity and stumble seven times, but they will continue to rise over and over again” (TPT). Even though you’ve fallen down, get back up. Even though life has felt you blow after blow, get back up. Even though things are hard, God will bless you when you keep getting back up. You have a race to run with an eternal prize. I know what it’s like to have the bottom keep falling out until you hit rock bottom. It’s not easy to get back up, but we’re not alone and we don’t have to do it in our strength. Call on the Holy Spirit to rise up in you when you feel like you can’t. Ask for God’s favor as you rise. The race isn’t won by the fastest, the most gifted or the wealthy. It’s won by those who continue to rise even though they fall because God favors those who trust in Him for His strength when they are weak.

Photo by Elisa Kennemer on Unsplash

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August 26, 2016 · 5:59 AM

Biblical Determination 


When my mom was in the hospital and the doctors said there was nothing else they could do, my dad pulled all of us into a room. He explained that the hospital was sending her home and that hospice would be providing care at the house. He then said, “I still believe God can heal her, but if He chooses not to, we need to be prepared for that. I want each of you to determine in your heart that you won’t get bitter against God.” That choice, made with determination, is what kept my relationship with God during my stages of grief.

The word “determine” comes from the Latin words “de” and “terminare”, which means to completely terminate. When we determine something, we completely terminate all other options. We have a single-minded focus to do what we are set out to do. I believe Jesus was determined to pay the price for you and I. The Bible says His face was set like a flint toward Jerusalem. He had terminated all other options and was determined to complete His mission. You and I can have that same determination to do what God has called us to do, but we have to terminate all other options in our heart first.

Here are some verses in the Bible about being determined:

1.   Carefully determine what pleases the Lord.
Ephesians 5:10 NLT

2.   You paid careful attention to the way we lived among you, and determined to live that way yourselves. In imitating us, you imitated the Master. Although great trouble accompanied the Word, you were able to take great joy from the Holy Spirit!—taking the trouble with the joy, the joy with the trouble.
1 Thessalonians 1:5-6 MSG

3.   But Ruth answered, “Don’t ask me to leave you! Let me go with you. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. Wherever you die, I will die, and that is where I will be buried. May the Lord’s worst punishment come upon me if I let anything but death separate me from you!” When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she said nothing more.
Ruth 1:16-18 GNT

4.   Indeed all who delight in piety and are determined to live a devoted and godly life in Christ Jesus will meet with persecution [will be made to suffer because of their religious stand].
2 Timothy 3:12 AMPC

5.   Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.
Proverbs 4:23 NLT

6.     Remember that I have commanded you to be determined and confident! Do not be afraid or discouraged, for I, the Lord your God, am with you wherever you go.
Joshua 1:9 GNT

7.   Be well balanced (temperate, sober of mind), be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring [in fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and devour. Withstand him; be firm in faith [against his onset–rooted, established, strong, immovable, and determined], knowing that the same (identical) sufferings are appointed to your brotherhood (the whole body of Christians) throughout the world.
1 Peter 5:8-9 AMPC

8.   I have chosen to be faithful; I have determined to live by your regulations.
Psalms 119:30 NLT

9.   As for us, we have this large crowd of witnesses around us. So then, let us rid ourselves of everything that gets in the way, and of the sin which holds on to us so tightly, and let us run with determination the race that lies before us.
Hebrews 12:1 GNT

10.   Because the Sovereign LORD helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore, I have set my face like a stone, determined to do his will. And I know that I will not be put to shame.
Isaiah 50:7 NLT

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April 7, 2015 · 6:50 AM

Three Steps To Spiritual Intimacy

In my own experience, I’ve found it takes three things in order to lose weight: a strong determination, exercise and good food choices. When I’ve had these three things working together, I’ve been able to lose weight. Without them, I tend to gain weight. I’ve also found that spiritual growth and intimacy with God takes the same three elements. When I put my focus and energy into these three areas, I experience intentional growth and closeness with God. When I lose sight of them, I tend to drift along spiritually. 

The first thing I’ve found that I’ve needed is a strong determination. I have to choose to want to grow and to get closer in my relationship with God. The moment you decide to move closer to God, you will begin to see lots of barriers in your way. If you have not fully committed to pushing forward, you will lose sight of the goal and turn back around. Any time I start to feel discouraged and want to quit moving forward, I remember II Chronicles 15:7. It says, “But you must be strong and not be discouraged. The work that you do will be rewarded. (GNB)” Keep your eye on the reward and encourage yourself to keep going.

Next you will need to begin exercising your faith if you want to see improvements. Just like physical exercise, spiritual exercise is not easy. It involves stretching yourself, making commitments that others won’t and cutting out certain areas of your life that waste your time or push you away from God. Fasting is a great example of spiritual exercise. It denies your flesh what it wants and spends time in prayer and reading God’s Word in its place. You choose how long the commitment is and what it involves. I’ve found that having someone to fast with keeps me accountable and improves the results. I Timothy 4:8 says, “Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come. (NLT)”

The third part is the toughest for me. Making the right choices on my spiritual intake. There are so many things that are bad, but just like regular food, some of my favorites are not good for me. Putting in the wrong types of food are detrimental to the goal. You can take one step forward in exercising and two steps back in spiritual food consumption. What you put into your spirit through TV, movies, books and music matters. Each one either feeds your spirit junk food or proper nutrition. Making the right choices determines the growth and intimacy you will see.

I read a quote from Jeanne Mayo that has had me thinking quite a bit. She said, “Salvation and grace are free, but closeness and intimacy with God are not. They will cost you.” Unfortunately, most of us are content to live with the free gifts of salvation and grace. That’s not God’s desire. James 4:8 says, “Draw close to God and He will draw close to you.” He wants us to move closer to Him. He wants us to have intimacy with Him. The question is: Do you have the will power and determination to pay the cost through spiritual exercise and what you feed your spirit to make it happen?

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