I AM RELENTLESS
determined, decisive, bold...
by Joyce Meyer
relentless means showing no abatement of severity, intensity, strength or pace in what we're trying to accomplish. If we want to possess God's promises, we're going to have to do more than just talk about them - we are going to have to be relentless in our pursuit of them. It also takes living an aggressive, on-fire, stirred-up love walk to defeat self, because selfishness is the root of most of our problems. Self is always going to be there, but we can make a choice to rise above it and refuse to live a self-centered lifestyle. It's something we have to be relentless about every single day of our life.
Experience Real Freedom
Relentlessly pursuing God is not necessarily easy, but it's definitely worth it, especially if we've been in bondage and never experienced real freedom. God is in the business of setting us free, and it's glorious to be free from guilt, condemnation, and always wondering what people are thinking of us - to have courage to be able to step out and do a new thing in our pursuit. We're set free from the concern of failing when we know who we are in Christ. And if we step out and try something and it doesn't work, big deal! Being free gives us liberty to be creative and expressive.
One of the greatest freedoms God has given me is the freedom to be me. For years I tried to be something I wasn't, feeling like I needed to be like this or like that, all the while knowing I wasn't like everyone else. Yet, I kept trying to be like others. I'm also very excited to be free from me. Being free from me is a daily walk.
Complete God's Call
Relentlessly pursuing God's promises also means we are going to finish what He's called us to do. Several years ago I read a verse that cause me to weep before the Lord. In John 17:4 Jesus says, I have glorified You down here on the earth by completing the work that You gave Me to do. Ever since reading this verse, it's become very important to me that I not just do what God has called me to do, but that I complete what He's called me to do.
There are a lot of people who step out on the journey with God, but I don't think there are nearly as many who finish it. The apostle Paul said, ...if only I may finish my course with joy... (Acts 20:24). I'm determined to not only finish, but to enjoy the journey. That's what I want for you, too - to enjoy every single day of your life. Jesus paid a high price for your freedom, so you can have His peace and joy and know who you are in Him.
But most of it is up to us. It's not all up to God. He has done His part and given us everything we need in Christ. It's up to us to keep learning, growing, and letting the Spirit of God work in us. If we want to pus a smile on God's face, then we need to be determined to grow up spiritually and spend every day of our life pressing in to be more like Christ. It takes having an attitude and a mindset of relentless determination, and saying, "I will never give up!"
Check Your Spirit
Do you and I have a relentless spirit? In Psalm 51:10, David said, Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. A right spirit is a persevering and steadfast spirit. If our spirit is discouraged, depressed or downtrodden, then it's not right. If it's filled with fear or anger, it's not right. We have to be determined to keep a right spirit. We're not going to do anything for God if we're not determined. Like exercise, if we aren't determined, we're not going to do it. Or if we don't determine to clean our house, it's not going to be clean.
I'm the kind of person who won't be distracted from a goal. It doesn't matter how many times I fail either; I don't shut up until God helps me to get victory over it. One of the goals I have is to stop murmuring. You may wonder what I have to murmur about. Not one thing - but I keep doing it and it's mostly about stupid little things, like sitting at a traffic light that's broken or when my computer is running slow. But I'm determined to stop murmuring. And the really great thing is that we don't have to live in condemnation in the meantime. God knows our hearts, and He's not mad at any of us if we haven't arrived yet. But if somewhere along the path we just sit down and quit, I believe He's disappointed that we've stopped trying. He wants us to relentlessly pursue Him.
I think it's good to put up a few signs around our house that say, "I will never give up. When I get knocked down, I will get up again. I'm not going to give up!"
Live Determined
Philippians 3 says Paul was determined, or relentless, to have the things that Christ Jesus died for, to know Him and the power of His resurrection. I believe when we are born again, there is a spirit of determination that comes in us. We can call it Holy Spirit "oomph", passion or zeal. It's when a little fire starts in our belly at the time we receive Christ as our Savior.
We can have very promise in the Word of God, but we are going to have to be relentless to get them. It's a decision each on of us has to make for ourselves. We can't feel sorry for ourselves and be determined at the same time. It won't do us any good to be pitiful. We have to be determined.
The Bible talks about people who were determined. Daniel was determined not to defile himself or to break his commitment to God, and he kept getting promoted. Solomon was determined to build a temple for the name of the Lord. Job was determined to not turn away from God. Moses and Abraham are examples of people who were determined. Remember Zacchaeus, who was too short to see Jesus through the crowd? Instead of feeling sorry for himself because he wasn't tall enough, he climbed up in a tree. And when he did, Jesus saw him and visited his house.
Like these men, we need to have a powerhouse determination, and no one can do that for us. When it comes down to it, we have to do the doing. You and I have to find determination inside of us during our midnight hours, when tears are streaming down our face and every feeling we have is trying to get us to give up. It's then when we decide to say: "I will not give up on having an intimate, passionate, deep, personal relationship with God. I will not give up on being all that Christ wants me to be."
Keep Your Eyes on the Reward
Real Christianity is for those who are prepared to be relentless. We need to start living with an aggressive spirit. Hebrews 11:6 is a wonderful scripture that says without faith it is impossible to please God. Those who come to Him must believe that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. We could easily say God is a rewarder of the relentless, of those who are determined, persevering, steadfast and faithful.
There is not reward in giving up. God promises us a reward and we dare not lose sight of it because everyone who works hard wants a paycheck at the end of the week. We need to see the promises of God fulfilled in our lives and see Him doing outrageous things for us. We need to see the favor of God on our lives because these things keep us encouraged. I want all of us to believe for God's reward in our life.
I can tell you that if we are relentless and refuse to give up and keep putting one foot in front of the other, even when we don't feel like it...even when you and I don't see where we're going...or don't feel like what we're doing makes sense...or when it's taking twenty years longer than we thought it would take... If we just keep going, all of a sudden, we'll run into our reward because payday is coming.
Be relentless to stay in faith and receive God's promises. I pray that each one of you will remember the spirit God's put within you, to know you belong to Him, and to never give up, but to have a relentless spirit - a new spirit of determination!
Enjoying Everyday Life (Magazine)
March/April 2009
Joyce Meyer Ministries
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