The God of those who try

One of my favorite authors wrote a book titled God Tells the Man Who Cares. I've always loved that title, and I think it can also be said that God helps the man(and woman and child) who tries. As I study the scriptures more and more, I recognize that they are not just a collection of disconnected writings, but they have threads running throughout each book, historical chronicle, letter, and proverb. I suppose the literary phrase for such a thread is a common theme. One of those common themes is this idea of the crucial nature of "trying" on our part.

In the Bible, there is a parable of three servants who are each given an amount of money to be the stewards of while the master who gave it to them is away on a journey. Each is asked to give an account of what they did with their time and money while the master was away. The first two invested theirs and are rewarded for their commendable investments, but the third is taken to task because he simply buried his. One of the keys to the passage comes when the master reveals that the servant could have at least kept it in the bank and allowed it to collect interest there. The conclusion is that the servant is actually found to be wicked and LAZY. I have to kick my rear into gear sometimes when I remember that God is not a God who requires “success” as we define it, but He does require our wills and will not abide a LAZY servant who gives excuses but ultimately simply chooses not to even try.


As the year begins, many of us will try to establish new habits. We will most likely all fail. Period. This is not a forecast for doom and gloom on my part, but an honest appraisal based on the many times of flopping on my face in the past. I also know from past experience, however, that if I maintain the pursuit of Him that victory will truly come through His strength AND because I was willing to step out and try. I pray that we realize that we are on the right track IF we are trying to change because we feel He has called us to change. We must not allow feelings of despair or frustration to keep us from seeing this, and knowing that just as He helps those who try He also promises that, "He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it."

May we all recognize that no matter how hard we try, we cannot grow in any way except through His empowerment, but may we all also recognize the crucial ingredient of our will in this as well.