Put in Some Effort!

Everything in Life Requires Effort

Everything in life requires effort, it takes effort to eat, sleep, wake up, go out, do business, succeed, parent, be a spouse, etc. Even if the food is already prepared, it still takes some effort to put it in the mouth, chew it, and for the body to digest it. You’ve probably heard the saying, nothing good comes easy. It’s the same all over and even the wicked makes effort to fulfill their wicked plans. When there was war in heaven, the devil put his effort into warring against God’s angels despite knowing he would lose. Rev 12:7 – 9

An effort is a serious attempt to do something; it is work done by the mind or body (Merriam Webster dictionary)

Sometimes we Christians fall into the error of believing that we don’t need to lift a finger to help ourselves, after all, God is sovereign and He rules over all. We can’t be much further from the truth, while it is true that God is sovereign (Exo 3:14), it is not the case that we should keep our fingers crossed.

We must put in some effort; into that family, into raising the children right, into being a better spouse, into being a better father or mother, into being a better person, etc. It is ill-advised to cross our fingers and hope for the best. The best does not happen by chance! It happens based on effort even if the effort is something as simple as trusting in God. Ecclesiastes 11:6 is all about putting in some effort, not as a one-time thing but on a continuous basis.

In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good.

Eccl 11:6

Put in some effort in the morning, put in more effort in the evening, and continue to put in more effort until that dream becomes a reality. In a previous post titled strength to the weary, I wrote about overcoming weariness for those who are getting weary and discouraged. If you feel like your effort is not worth it, then that post is for you. Click here to read the post.

Daniel Put in Some Effort

Be like Daniel who didn’t give up in the land of captivity but put in some effort by praying. He prayed for deliverance after learning that Israel wasn’t supposed to spend more than 70 years in captivity at Babylon. And God rewarded his effort with freedom.

2 In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem. 3 And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes:

Daniel 9:2-3

Instead of folding his hands and resigning to fate, Daniel put in some effort and his situation changed. They were released from captivity the same year he began to pray.

Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth hath the Lord God of heaven given me; and he hath charged me to build him an house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all his people? The Lord his God be with him, and let him go up.

2 Chron 36:23

The Woman with Issue of Blood Put in Some Effort

Similarly, consider the woman with the issue of blood, she had every reason to give up, but she did not. Despite having spent all her money on physicians without improvement, she still put in some effort to see Jesus.

25 And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years,
26 And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse,
27 When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment.

Mark 5:25 -27

This woman was oozing blood, stinking, unclean, all her strength and money was gone, yet, she did not give up! It was taboo for her to be amid people Lev 15:19, 25, yet she put in some effort. Amidst all odds, she nursed her hopes. Hopes of being healed, of being made whole, of having her dignity restored, of being able to walk with head held high without fear of disdain.

Read: Self-discipline a necessity for the Christian race

Those hopes yielded fruit as the fountain of her blood dried up.

And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.

Mark 5:29

Like the father of faith, against hope she believed in hope.

Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, so shall thy seed be.

Romans 4:18

As weak as she was, she put in some effort by stepping out in faith and seeking the Master. She believed that if she could touch Him, she would be healed.

Unlike some of us today who believe that once we are saved everything will work out without effort. It is good to have faith, but faith without works is dead (James 2:20, 26).

For the woman with the issue of blood, her effort was to go out to seek Jesus even in that humiliating state.

The majority of those God touched specially in the bible all put in an effort or had someone who put in an effort on their behalf. They didn’t just fold their hands doing nothing.

Below are biblical examples of people who put in some effort and were touched by God in a special way.

Biblical Examples of People Who Put in Some Effort and Received God’s Touch

1. The lame man by the gate of the temple ensured he was carried daily to the temple (Acts 3:2).
2. The impotent man by the pool of Bethesda (John 5:5-9). He put in some effort to get to the pool side despite his crippled state and that heralded his breakthrough. His effort evoked the compassion of our Lord Jesus.

6 When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?
8 Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.
9 And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked…

John 5:6,8,9

Jesus knew that he had been in that state for so long and showed him mercy. How long have you been in that situation and how persistent are you in trusting God for a solution?

Is your faith and trust in Him steady and unwavering or is it shaky like a flickering light bulb? Are you putting in some effort? Please know that God will only reward the diligent seekers.

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Hebrews 11:6

3. Zacchaeus the tax collector sought an encounter with Jesus Christ but was limited by his small stature and the great multitude thronging Him. This didn’t deter him, instead he put in some effort, thought outside the box and climbed a tree to encounter Christ. His effort paid off when Jesus acknowledged him on the tree and graced his house with his presence.

2 And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich.
3 And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature.
4 And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way.
5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for today I must abide at thy house.
6 And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully.

Luke 19:2-6

Time will not permit me to talk about Hannah who went to Shiloh, or Esther who applied and went through the selection process required for would-be queens (1 Samuel 1:13, Esther 2:8, 17)

Conclusion

We all have a glorious destiny in Christ, but we must put in some effort for that destiny to manifest. This year, purpose to put in some more effort into life and your Christian walk and watch God surprise you.