…but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint (Isaiah 40:31).
One of the things that is most valued in a person who has to lead a group or a project is his or her capacity for self-motivation.
This is because, in the course of his or her work, the leader will find himself or herself in situations that will undermine his or her endurance.
Resources that fail, poorly designed systems, collaborators who do their job reluctantly, when they are not putting obstacles in the wheels of the project, superiors who don’t know anything…
Those responsible for finding these people know that if they don’t find someone with that exceptional ability to move forward, most projects will likely never come to fruition.
For this reason, in personnel selection processes, technical preparation is no longer given so much importance, as this is something that the vast majority of candidates will have.
Nowadays, what is most valued is the candidate’s attitude towards life’s problems.
Because chances are, if you get a job like that, you’re going to have a lot of bad nights. And if you don’t have the right attitude, you’ll end up spending your little free time at your psychologist’s office.
And it is the same in the spiritual life.
To go to the end in a faithful manner, facing the consequences of living a life of holiness and obeying God, will require much effort and persistence.
Because we will be up against a ruthless enemy.
And that strength and persistence is something that only a select few have naturally.
And even for those, this natural energy eventually runs out one day.
So, if this capacity for endurance is so rare, how can those of us who do not have it remain steadfast to the end?
Are we doomed because we are unable to develop such a level of resilience?
As always, the answer is in God.
Let us see what the book of Isaiah tells us:
.…..but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
Isaiah 40:31
To advance in your spiritual life, it is not necessary to go from here to there looking for the latest preaching or the latest talk of the enlightened person of the moment. Nor is it necessary to have an extraordinary innate capacity.
If you want to keep your strength strong, if you want to renew your energy and your vision to move forward, all you have to do is trust in God.
For it is to those who wait for the LORD that this promise is reserved. Not to those who run alone.
And, for this, there is nothing better than to stop and set aside time each day to listen to the voice of God. And dedicate it to prayer and meditation of his Word.
Pray, yes, but remember that prayer is not a monologue. Prayer is a dialogue. It is you talking to God, but it is also God talking to you.
And meditate on his Word in order to re-tune your life to God’s will.
For only in this way can you deepen your knowledge of your Creator and the knowledge of His will.
When you achieve this, the glimpse of God’s glory will renew you completely, and His Holy Spirit will be able to strengthen, comfort and encourage you.
With the added assurance that this promise of God, to receive new strength, is for each and every one of his children. Without distinction of capacity or calling.
So the next time you are thinking of throwing in the towel, go into God’s presence and wait and trust in him. And he will give you the strength to go on, one more day.
God bless you.
Cover photo by Birger Strahl on Unsplash
