"How effective you are is not up to God but up to you."

A thought by John Bevere, from his book, Your God-Given Potential (p. 19). Messenger International, Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.)

Okay, what do you mean?

John says, "That may sound irreverent if you have put all your life achievements in the basket of 'God’s sovereignty.' I assure you, however, it is not irreverent nor does this statement take anything away from the sovereignty of God. It is a testimony of His trust in us, and His desire for His sons and daughters to exercise the free will He’s given us."

He then gives this scripture, "Wisdom will multiply your days and add years to your life. If you become wise, you will be the one to benefit." (Proverbs 9:11–12)

"He goes on, "This truth is so encouraging and powerful! What does it mean to multiply your days? It can’t mean to lengthen your life; this is already covered by the statement, '. . . and add years to your life.' It can’t mean anything other than increasing your effectiveness each and every day. In other words, you’ll get more out of the day than someone without God’s wisdom."

He continues, "You’ve most likely heard the proverb, 'If the ax is dull, and one does not sharpen the edge, then he must use more strength; but wisdom brings success' (Ecclesiastes 10:10 NKJV). Wisdom is the focus here. You will not be as effective or productive with a dull ax (a lack of wisdom). Conversely, you’ll be able to cut down many more trees with an ax that’s sharpened (living wisely). You will multiply your efforts using the same strength.

"God’s wisdom is so important. . . 'Getting wisdom is the most important thing you can do' (Proverbs 4:7 GNT). I love this statement. Once you really believe it, you’ll give your time and energy to acquiring wisdom. But the great truth of Proverbs 9:11–12 is this: Once you obtain wisdom, you are the one who benefits!"

John then says, "The wisdom of God that I write about in this book took years of seeking, searching, and listening—coupled with both positive and negative experiences. But as you’ll discover, it’s not only me, but others that I’ve had the privilege to interview who’ve walked wisely and borne tremendous fruit. I can only hope that, in a short amount of time, you will receive what took me years to obtain, and that you will go much farther with this wisdom than I have. It’s a kingdom matter—we are all one, so if you benefit, then I benefit. If you go farther than me, it’s also to my advantage, because we are one. We are all working for a common purpose and for the glory of one King."

And that is so true, isn't it?

Yes, yes!