Just Continue That Thought...

A thought by Mark Batterson from his book, Play the Man: Becoming the Man God Created You to Be (p. 91). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) True Grit was one of the first movies I saw in a theater.   I loved John Wayne. That movie showed what Hollywood thought grit was. Mark says, “Grit is an attitude— an unwillingness to give up, to give in. Grit is a sanctified stubborn streak! Even if you’re hanging on by a thread, you hang in there. No matter how many times you’ve been knocked down, you get back up! You keep on keeping on no matter what, no matter when, no matter how.” He later says, “Jesus endured the pain of the cross by fixing his eyes on us— the joy of His salvation. When He was on the cross, we were on his mind. And the way we stay strong in the face of pain and suffering and trials is by fixing our eyes on Him!” Hebrews 12:1-2 says, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great clou

A thought by Mark Batterson from his book, Play the Man: Becoming the Man God Created You to Be (p. 91). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) Ok, this is good! Mark says, “When you voice negative thoughts, you’re reinforcing what’s wrong. Over time, it often becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. “Instead of verbalizing negativity, speak words of faith. “Instead of verbalizing complaints, speak words of praise.” He goes on, “When God called Jeremiah to be a prophet, Jeremiah felt overwhelmed and underqualified. He used inexperience as an excuse, and God rebuked his excuse. ‘Say not, I am a child.’   Jeremiah 1:7 (KJV)” Mark says, “Quit making excuses! “ I’m too old. I’m too young. I had bad parents. I’ve made too many mistakes. I don’t have the education. I don’t have the experience. “Say not!” Mark then says, “What needs to go on your ‘say not’ list? You can start with obscenities,

A thought by Mark Batterson from his book, Play the Man: Becoming the Man God Created You to Be (p. 46). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) Mark continues, “You have to say no to second best. Good isn’t good enough! That’s what the apostle Paul is getting at when he writes, ‘Everything is permissible for me but not everything is beneficial. ’   [1 Corinthians 10: 23 (CSB).]” Mark then says, “This little distinction between permissible and beneficial is the difference between good and great. Don’t settle for what’s permissible. That’s the path of least resistance. Go after greatness by going the extra mile! “Willpower means not my will, but ‘your will be done.’ (Matthew 16:10) It’s a will that has been fully surrendered to the lordship of Jesus Christ. It’s a sanctified stubborn streak that refuses to compromise its convictions.” Mark goes on, “Now, let’s bring this idea down to earth. If you want