Nothing Worthwhile Is Ever Easy

CURRENT TEACHING SERIES Life's Healing Choices - The Beatitudes

Nothing Worthwhile Is Ever Easy By Rick Warren — Aug 18, 2016 “Let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up” (Galatians 6:9 NLT, second edition). There are many things that work to keep us from completing our life missions. Over the years, I’ve debated whether the worst enemy is procrastination or discouragement. If Satan can’t get us to put off our life missions, then he’ll try to get us to quit altogether. The apostle Paul teaches that we need to resist discouragement: “Let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up” (Galatians 6:9 NLT, second edition). Do you ever get tired of doing what’s right? I think we all do. Sometimes it seems easier to do the wrong thing than the right thing. When we’re discouraged, we become ineffective. When we’re discouraged, we work against our own faith. When we’re discouraged, we’re saying, “It can’t be done.” That’s the exact opposite of saying, “I know God can do it because he said …” Ask yourself these questions: How do I handle failure? When things don’t go my way, do I get grumpy? When things don’t go my way, do I get frustrated? When things don’t go my way, do I start complaining? Do I finish what I start? How would I rate on persistence? If you’re discouraged, don’t give up without a fight. Nothing worthwhile ever happens without endurance and energy. When an artist creates a sculpture, he has to keep chipping away. He doesn’t hit the chisel with the hammer once, and suddenly all the excess stone falls away revealing a beautiful masterpiece. He keeps hitting it and hitting it, chipping away at the stone. And that’s true of life, too. Nothing really worthwhile ever comes easy in life. You keep hitting it and going after it, and little by little your life becomes a masterpiece of God’s grace. The fact is, great people are really just ordinary people with an extraordinary amount of determination. Great people don’t know how to quit. PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >> Talk It Over What does your attitude toward a tough situation reveal about your faith? What have you been ready to give up on? How can God’s Word help you endure? Who in your life can encourage you to keep going? Our Gift: Life's Healing Choices Study Kit Based on Jesus’ very own words in the Beatitudes, this DVD and workbook guides you through eight critical choices that every wounded believer must make in order to experience wholeness, happiness, and healing. These essential decisions will build your trust in God even when you don’t understand his plans and your circumstances look hopeless. LEARN MORE Complete Audio Series (Purchase) Includes all complete sermons from the Rick Warren Life's Healing Choices - The Beatitudes teaching series. LEARN MORE Series Summary Message 1: ​​The Reality Choice Message 2: ​​​​​​​​​​The Hope You Need For Change Message 3: ​​​Letting Go and Letting God Message 4: ​​The Transformation Choice Message 5: ​The Growth Choice Message 6: ​​​The Sharing Choice Message 7: Breaking Free From Abuse PLAY TODAY'S BROADCAST

Pastor Rick Warren

Enjoy today's Devotional? Listen instantly to the full radio message at Daily Hope Radio. Did someone forward this devotional to you? Subscribe to Pastor Rick Warren's Daily Devotional. This devotional is based on the current Daily Hope radio series at rickwarren.org. Rick Warren has helped people live with hope and on purpose for more than 40 years. He’s the founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Southern California and author of several books, including "The Purpose Driven Church" and "The Purpose Driven Life," read by more than 100 million people in 137 languages. He created the PEACE Plan (plant churches of reconciliation, equip servant leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, educate the next generation), which is used by churches in 196 countries. His radio teaching and daily devotional, Daily Hope, is offered across America. This devotional © 2016 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission. You can unsubscribe at any time by changing your e-mail preferences. Update your preferences  |  Unsubscribe