Nothing is Worth it unless you Believe It

...Something I wrote last week on my other blog:  http://www.christcenteredcreativity.blogspot.com/

 ~ Nothing is 'Worth it' Unless you 'Belive' it ~
I know. I know. It's back to those intangible words, those intangible concepts...those verbs that people take and make like they all hang on 'emotions', and 'feelings'. And you've probably had enough of that sort of advice. Seems everything depends on 'actions', and frankly you aren't motivated enough to make it through by your own will. You cannot muster it. You cannot 'make' yourself feel different. Or can you?
Did you know that 'nothing' is worth it; worth the 'feeling', worth the 'dedication', worth the 'striving', if you do not 'mentaly acknowledge it as so', if you do not 'believe' it is.
Test it on yourself. Test and see; nothing is possible for you if you don't give room for hope.
This does not mean you have to be doing something you 'like' to do in order to succeed. But it means, that no matter what you are doing, you must have some sort of 'hope' even if that is in a 'finish', or else you will not pull through. I've discovered even in my own life, that a lot of the things that I complain about, or just don't have the passion for, are things that either I tell myself I cannot accomplish, or tell myself 'are not worth it'. Because I know that if I 'think something is worth it' I give my all to it. But I also realize that if I 'believe' something is 'not worth getting passionate about, or giving my mind to' I cannot accomplish it. Sometimes this can be rather ridiculous, but for example; I have recently recognized this playing out with little things; such as getting up and making tea, sometimes in doing something for myself, or a favor for somebody else. If I do not to some degree 'let myself desire' or 'believe it is worth it' I am of little power to serve others, or even myself.

This also comes down to a certain other topic. Belief is based on receiving facts, trusting them, and acting on them.... But also on the topic of feeling... you must also be willing, and believe that it is 'worth while' to 'feel'. This is something I am just learning more about this past year. I, being not the very easily 'emotionaly' motivated kind of person in certain areas, has gradually let herself believe that most emotions are not only misleading, but immature. In short, I have believed before that 'emotions'...most...are just not 'worth it'. Inside.
And there is a common theme here. A lot of people who profess that they are not the 'passionate type', or even on other scales, 'the outgoing type', 'the religious type' etc... have taken aspects of their personalities, offenses from others, lies of Satan, and intertwined them to make a rope. They hang themselves from this rope, high above the rafters, overlooking society, and believe...they are somehow separated from humanity, and therefore nobeler. How they can confuse being agnostic with nobility I am yet to want to know. But the fact is, they do. It's not something they will admit, actually it's not something most consciously praise themselves for, it's more or less a deeper thing.

You know. Passion, motivation, feeling...they go deeper than you may realize. A lot of our personality, has a lot to do with our spirituality. Each of us have a different personal relationship with God. Not surprisingly, the way we communicate with others, is pretty similar to the way we communicate with God. Everybody has the right to the special way He communicates. Not everybody is the same. Not everybody feels the same, nor receives the same.
The important thing though, is not that we defend ourselves, but that we recognize lies, and do not believe them. So my question to you is; what is it that you believe is 'worth' it? This doesn't mean you have the same way of showing it as someone else does. But ask yourself, what is 'worth' it to you? If you ask yourself this, and cannot think of one thing, on any level that you would be willing to act on, I would say you could use a change in prospective.

The second question is this; what things have you told yourself 'are not worth it' when in reality, you put up walls from believing, or feeling it's worth. Man's will is a powerful thing. There is a lot to say about those who 'go hard', and actually 'believe' they can accomplish their goals. You will begin to get more from life, if you actually believe things are worth while, than not.
Beyond the fact, a lot of things we have to do in life are things we do not want to do, nor know why we have to do them. To a degree, that I hadn't realized before, you must have a certain amount of courage and mental motivation to do all most anything. Lately, I have been failing at this, because I have believed a few obvious misconceptions. Perhaps you can relate to some of the bellow...

1. That love in general, should depend on what I think of a person

2. That some things are not worth it, when in reality I am just letting
my 'lack of motivation' make my lazy

3. That the only things worth while are those that I can accomplish
without trial and error

4. That success is not a journey

5. That life is made up of sit, or run...not jog

These points...are untrue. Frankly, lies...

I want to live life to my fullest. I only have one life. I need to break out from the ropes that hold me back. Open up my eyes.
Love. You know what you believe about it is really a big factor. Because honestly, love is the biggest motivator. Second is 'Like' (when you like something so much it motivates you).
But, did you know that Love is not what most people think, or claim it is? The Fruit of Love, is actually actions that depend not on whether or not you 'like' a person etc...Love does not come down to that. Joy has also is common in this way to Love; both of them do 'not' and should 'not' depend on circumstances, or feelings. It's something that God motivates in us. Something we do not muster.
In so, a man cannot truly love without God. Nor have true 'Joy'.

A Man can be 'moral' according to his own 'ever subject to change', standards. And he can also have 'happiness', which is also subject to change, with his circumstances. But Love, and Joy...they are what lasts through fire. They are what upholds the martar though he be persecuted unto death.
So you may be the sort of person that doesn't much become motivated by 'emotions' as some. But real Love...real Joy; you should never give up on, or believe them to be of less power than they are. Keep them, and live by them.

Second Point; It's important that you realize, that nothing you do not believe is 'worth it' will you truly accomplish. You make yourself powerless, by your lack of belief. You have the power to choose, what you will let yourself believe to be true. Don't be lazy. It's not 'worth it'. Serve others. Do things as unto God. It's 'worth it'. I can't promise that I always let myself act on that, because I don't. I sometimes let my mental point of view, or will, apathize myself. I'm not proud of the fact. But I know it's true.
Think about what you may be missing out on, every time you close your eyes and choose to serve your own lack of care. When you serve others, you serve yourself. Also, If you cannot serve others, most likely you cannot serve yourself.

I've believed for example; that 'learning' some things, is not 'worth it'. I've believed that 'reading' to a great extent, is not 'worth my time', in the past, so therefore I have chained myself. And I have to work on giving my attention to some things.
I would recommend always having a openness to not only learn, but to discover things by yourself, so that you are not always dependant on teachers. God doesn't want to give us good minds, and us put them to waste. Sometimes that may mean putting them to waste on unnecessary study, wrong information, or education, but also this means putting up walls toward knowledge and learning.
Be open to bettering yourself. Yet lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways 'accnowledge Him'.

Point Three; The Best things in life, the most worth while things in life...are sometimes those that take a whole lot of effort to accomplish, obtain or live out. You have to be willing to believe that the price is worth the prize. This is all a matter of how you see the 'prize' its' self. Your view of the prize, will determine the motivation, and your willingness to pay the 'price' for it.
For example;
" The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; that which when a man has found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goes and sells all he has, and buyeth the field."
Again the Kingdom of heaven is like unto a Merchant man seeking godly pearls: Who when he found a one pearl of great price,went and sold all that he had and bought it". ~ Matthew 13: 44 -46
Don't believe that nothing is worth your tears, your strain, your sweat, and your devotion. It is not how Christ would have you live, and it is rejecting how God has purposed you. He 'wants' you to believe, and receive His love. He wants you to seek 'good', and sacrifice for it. Do not let little things hinder you from obtaining the prize. We have a tendency to inflate little things, and see them bigger than they are. They expand in our heads, and suffocate our hopes and aspirations. Don't give in. It's important that you do not coward, and give up to quickly. Life is not an accomplishment, nor is success without the track. There are obstacles, there are prices, and things you must do, in order to receive the prize. Remember also, that Success is made up of 'learning' and 'growing'. Success is a process, a 'life time' perhaps, when seen in close prospective. You can only do great things, if you are willing to do little things. For every great thing, whether that be in landing a good job, composing a symphony, building a sky scraper, etc...is also made up of little things, that make the big thing possible. Do not revolt the little things. Be full of courage, knowing that if you are honest, temperate, and give your best you will climb the ladder to bigger things. God gives us little things sometimes, as tests for what we will do with the bigger things. Focus on the prize. If the prize doesn't mean anything to you, than I doubt you will pay the price.

Point Four; We must realize that life is a journey. We must be courageous, give our best, and Trust God with the rest. Sometimes we may overlook the best possible gifts of our lives, if we think we should be in different places, with different people, in a different station, working a different job. Sometimes the grass may seem greener on the other side, but we must ask ourselves; "what makes that grass greener?" Is it a missing ingredient? Is it the way I view it? Or is it possible that I can cultivate the grass on this dull side, to one day grow just as green? These are the questions we should consider pondering. We should always do the best with what we have. Sure, things could be easier...but that doesn't mean they would be, or are, 'better'.
It is not enough that you do something great 'once' in your life, and think that will hold you over for the rest. It is not enough that you land a good job, make the grade, rescue the princess to make your life count. One act shouldn't be what you base your life upon. 'Success' is not a goal reached, but a life lived. It's what you do every day that counts, it's as if life counts entirely as a whole. Each day being the only whole you will ever live in. For once you are there in the day, you can not be certain of tomorrow. For Today, is truly, all we ever have.
Yesterday is History, Tomorrow is a Mystery, and Today?
Today is a gift, that is why they call it 'the present' ;) - Eleanor Roosevelt

Point Five: As much as we'd like to think it is. Life is not always as black and white as 'run' and 'stop' there is a lot of 'walking' and even 'jogging' that goes on for the individual. Just because things aren't like you, or I think they should be does not mean that they are not of purpose. Just because something is not 'the top' does not mean it is 'not worth climbing' in order to 'get to the top'. There are the storms in life, there are highs in life, and then there are those unfeeling, seemingly un-important times, where nothing seems to be happening...the dryness of the deserts of life. They eat at you worse than most anything... Because in a sense they are something we do not understand, something we cannot do much about. Also, take time to appreciate the times, the things, the scenery, 'inbetween'. Use the 'inbetween lands' as trusting grounds. And even if they seem worthless; you will look back one day and realize that they really were some of your deepest times of inward growth. The kind of growth that you cannot see when it is happening, the kind that takes place inside. Don't panic, don't scream, time will go on, and if you don't believe lies that say 'nothing is worth while' or 'nothing will get better' and choose to keep stepping forward, one foot in front of the other...you will one day leave the 'inbetween land' for 'higher' grounds.

I like Emerson's quote on success. But I'm going to tweak it a bit:
"To rejoice often and much, to earn the respect of wise people and the love of children, to learn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends, offenses, let downs, and 'inbetween lands'... to appreciate true beauty, to think on good, acceptable, things, to serve others...to know that even one life has been touched by your own. Thus to hear "Well done my good and Faithful Servant". This is to have succeeded.

Some final quotes to sum up:

1. The love of our neighbor is the only door out of the dungeon of self. - George Macdonald

2. Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing
on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude. - Thomas Jefferson
( You will invest your life in Something, or you will throw it away on Nothing. - Haddon Robinson)

3. We are blind until we see, That in the human plan, Nothing is worth the making
If it does not make the man. Why build these cities glorious, If man unbuilded goes?
In vain we build the world - Unless the builder grows. - Edwin Markham

4. Your life begins to change when you change something you do every day. - John C. Maxwell

5. Show me a man who cannot bother to do little things and I'll show you a man who cannot
be trusted to do big things. - Lawrence D. Bell

So, consider the boundaries you have made for yourself. Consider that which you believe. If you believe not, you will not put your foot forward, and from what you do not bank upon, you will not
receive from. Don't expect to wake up one day and expect to receive the fruit, of what you have
not worked for. The measure of a man's character is defined in how he reacts, and how he goes forth.
What is 'worth' it? You may not be the 'passionate type', you may not be the 'emotional type', you may not be the 'dreamer type', the 'get it done type', the 'doer'. But in life you will realize that sometimes we form our own boundaries, we take something of our personality, and use it as perhaps a 'cop out' or a 'clutch' or even... let it rule our lives. We become slaves to our inabilities, or our personalities. God wants to use 'you', you have special qualities, a special way you can shine His light, a unique way you can communicate, and also special talents, or ways that you particularly can serve. Ask God what these may be, discover who God made you. Do this so you won't miss out on your 'destiny' on earth, your 'purpose', so to say. Do this not only for yourself, but for others...and for God. But the fact is, you must believe that 'it' is worth it. That God is worth it, that others are worth it, and that it's all 'worth while'.
Ask God to free you from any lies you have believed. Take a breath. Choose to Love. Choose to Step forward. There may be bleak times, there may be things you can't made immediate sense of, there may be times of apathy...you may not become a 'different person', but what is important, is that you not only be 'you', but that you be 'the best you'...the you that is liberated, the you that is courageous, and the you that God would be proud of. To know that you gave your best, did your best...that's what's important. Seek God first, of course. Just remember. Believe to motivate you to receive. Run the race. Receive the crown. God has good things in store on earth for those who are willing to surrender to Him.
Believe it!

and Remember;
Sometimes
"It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare;
it is because we do not dare that they are difficult". - Seneca