STAND FAST IN THE LORD
(1 Thessalonians 3:8).

I love the movie Karate Kid, released in 2010.  What impressed me the most about the movie was the way the little boy started his training to become an expert.  You see, this little boy had a bad habit. He would throw his jacket on the floor, instead of hanging it up on the peg, whenever he got home.  His mother scolded him often for this behavior, but his bad habit prevailed.

When his karate master started training him, he did not focus on the advanced karate skills, first, but on the basic skill of curing him from his bad habit of throwing his jacket on the floor.  For training, the boy had to take his jacket off, hang it on the peg, take it off the peg, and put it back on, over and over.  He had to do this for weeks on end, until his bad habit was broken.  Only when he was done with this basic training was he fit to start the advanced training of becoming a karate expert.

God trains us the same way.  He gives us the same challenge over and over again, day after day, year after year, to break our bad habits of dropping our hearts on the floor, in despair, during difficult circumstances. He does this, until we learn to stand fast in Him. After many failures, we learn to overcome—to pick up our hearts and believe.  Only then, God is able to teach us the next, more advanced lessons.

THAT YOU MAY STAND PERFECT AND COMPLETE IN ALL THE WILL OF GOD
(Colossians 4:12).

I bless you to learn to stand perfect and complete in all the Will of God, no matter what God is teaching you at the moment.  Pick your heart up, again…and again…and again. Learn to stand in faith, when circumstances beg you to give up.  Learn to stand fast in the Lord, when you do not see any results, yet, from what He has been teaching you. At the proper time you will reap a harvest, if you do not give up.

LET US NOT BECOME WEARY IN DOING GOOD, FOR AT THE PROPER TIME WE WILL REAP A HARVEST IF WE DO NOT GIVE UP
(Galatians 6:9).

What bad habit is hindering you from receiving God’s Hope, Love, and Truth that He is holding out to you during your difficult circumstances? Why do you keep dropping your heart on the floor, in despair? When are you going to learn to pick your heart up…and overcome?

What will it take for you to surrender this bad habit to God and ask Him to exchange it for His complete and perfect Will for your life?

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, show me my bad habits, so I may surrender them to You. Teach me never to give up surrendering to You, so I may stand perfect and complete in all Your Will.