[Devoted1]

"The Struggle Of Effort"
By: Zach Wood
Ephesians 5:8, 10 (NLT)
(8) For though your hearts were once full of darkness, now you are full of light from the Lord,
and your behavior should show it! (10) Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord.


I need to make a confession to you as I start writing this devotional. I have problems with the word, "effort". Reason being, there are a lot of things in life that require this little word. It might be short in alphabetical components, but the meaning behind the word is as strong as a blazing fire! I think many of us have problems with the word, "effort". It seems we've become so lazy these days, giving very little effort and expecting so much in return. Doesn't sound quite right, does it? I remember struggling with effort through many years of school. It took effort to get my homework done. It took effort to study for a test. It took effort to obey what my parents told me to do. It took effort to show up to work at jobs that I had in order to make money. To live life successfully requires a bit of effort on our parts.

I think it's quite easy for us to give great effort when a situation feels comfortable and excitingly challenging to us. However, when we enter circumstances and situations that bring us out of our comfort zone, the effort tends to decrease somewhat. Life hands us many opportunities that require effort. Our Christian walk is much the same way. We must make an effort to live as Christ did. There are times in life when it's fun to give a big effort to be joyful and Christ-like to others. However, there are also times when it's downright difficult and scary to put in the challenging effort when we have worldly forces come against us. As we read in Ephesians, we were "once" in the darkness, but now we are in the light! Do we truly understand what that means? We do not have a life that is dark anymore. Christ in us means that we have the most awesome Light in the world! To live a life of Christ means to make an effort to find out what is pleasing to Him and show the world a behavior pattern that is different.

If we truly have the life of Christ living in us, our behavior should be bright and shiny with His Light. We are full of light from the Lord. Our reactions, attitudes, words, actions and body language should all reflect an effort to shine the Light of Christ! Sometimes, it's a struggle and a serious challenge, especially if we're having a bad day. But, we must be different and deliberately find what will please the Lord, not what will please our desires.

The best ways we can find out what pleases the Lord and live by those ways is to read His Word, pray diligently and make an effort to show our Christ-like behavior. Remember, you and I maybe the ONLY Bible another person ever reads.

[thinxtoomuch]

wow, those are some words that hit you upside the head! Well put, thank you.

Originally Posted by Devoted1

"The best ways we can find out what pleases the Lord and live by those ways is to read His Word, pray diligently and make an effort to show our Christ-like behavior. Remember, you and I maybe the ONLY Bible another person ever reads.