{"id":87,"date":"2013-04-13T14:27:23","date_gmt":"2013-04-13T14:27:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stpaulsmarietta.org\/?p=87"},"modified":"2026-02-28T21:52:03","modified_gmt":"2026-02-28T21:52:03","slug":"full-message","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stpaulsmarietta.org\/?p=87","title":{"rendered":"Follow Pastor Tom on Twitter @Pr_Tom."},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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 Stay the Course<\/i><\/b><\/h2>\n

 <\/i>  <\/i>\u201cBe strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go.<\/i> (Josh 1:7, NIV).<\/i><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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 <\/i>  There is a transition time. It is not always easy to make. It takes wisdom and discernment to know when this is and how to do it best. It takes courage to venture into a new realm. Our lives consist of a series of seasons. Knowing which season we are in is essential to operating wisely within it (Ecc. 3).  We should give careful attention to these areas if we want to be truly successful. After we have determined which season we are in we should become intentional about how we operate while in this season.<\/p>\n

1. Use Your Strengths.  You have them.  Acknowledge them and use them.  Many folks focus primarily on their weaknesses. We should certainly know our weak areas and seek to improve in these. However, we never really accomplish all that we can if we spend too much of our time trying to fix our weak spots. Don\u2019t totally neglect this but keep it in the background. Many times we will accomplish a whole lot more by \u201cbeing strong.\u201d We should actively, intentionally, and heartily exercise the gifts and talents in which we are strong. We will be so much more productive and fruitful when we do this.  Be strong<\/i> by using the resources you have now to their fullest.<\/p>\n

2. Use Your Faith:  Joshua is admonished to be very courageous<\/i>.  If you spend your time concentrating on your weaknesses you can become discouraged. Encourage yourself by remembering your strengths and applying them to your goals. Encourage yourself by remembering past victories. This will feed your personal courage and challenge you to do your very best today. Don\u2019t wait for others to encourage you. When David became overwhelmed with a serious problem he encouraged himself. We also would do well to learn to do this. \u201c<\/i>David was greatly distressed, for the men spoke of stoning him because the souls of them all were bitterly grieved, each man for his sons and daughters. But David encouraged and strengthened himself in the Lord his God.\u201d<\/i> (1 Sam. 30:6, AMP)<\/p>\n

3.  Use Your Focus.  \u201cDon\u2019t turn to the left or the right.\u201d You have the mental power of focus.  You may need to practice and develop more in this, but you can do it. Start where you are. Develop the single eye. Don\u2019t approach the day with a shotgun blast (that goes every direction and little distance) and expect to continue to get solid meaningful results. You may be skillful enough or even get lucky for awhile and hit some close objects this way. However, the rifle shot (which is concentrated power) goes much farther and is more likely to hit the target with more accuracy and more impact. Don\u2019t continually have too many irons in the fire or try to juggle too many balls at once. Be willing to prioritize.  The more things you do in a day generally results in doing fewer things really well. Sometimes juggling many things is necessary. But try not to continue this way when handling important issues. Put God first and ask Him to help you to prioritize your day. Expect your renewed mind to begin to clarify things and work through the issues of your day.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t be afraid to make the transition you need to make. If you don\u2019t your productivity (fruitfulness) will wane. You cannot operate very long in more than one season at the same time. Don\u2019t keep trying to grow tomatoes and corn in Ohio in January. Move on. There is a time and season for all things. Nature teaches us this. Focus on where God has you right now and expect His grace to guide you during this time. Expect success as you use the strength and faith He has given you and continue to tap into the power of focus.  Amen.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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