You Get What You Go For

Africa Christmas Update: 6 men’s gifts (from $20 to $800)—$1,660—166 kids—151 children left @ $10 each = $1510. Deadline-Nov. 15th

Would it be easier and safer to raise $1500 for 150 kids and leave the other 167 out, feeling good about the ones helped, just to make the goal safer and easier to attain? You bet it would. But why do that? Let’s talk about this concept for a minute as it pertains to our entire lives.

So a guy that heads to the bar every weekend to seek out a relationship with a female, what is the likelihood of what he will end up with? A guy who prays, seeks the Lord, and befriends and respects all the women in his life, what is the likelihood of what he will end up with?

A guy who puts himself first, squeezes every dollar out of every deal, and has no problem cheating people in the process, what is the likelihood of what he will end up with? Especially in the long run. A guy who seeks the best for others, offers real value and customer service, and who does the right thing, what is the likelihood of what he will end up with? Especially in the long run.

This is, of course, the Biblical reap and sow principle, but I want to take this a step further to challenge our faith, because our Western culture often waters this truth down or turns it into a negative.

Let’s call this the “you get what you go for” principle.

Far too many of us either miss our dreams or put them on the back burner for too many years (that was me), because we’re clinging to the trunk instead of being out on a limb where the real fruit is produced. Why? Because we fear the limb will break and we’ll fall. (The enemy has that message on auto-play for many of us.)

We tell ourselves lies such as: “I can’t do it.” “I’m not worth it.” “I know I’ll fail.” “It’s too risky.” “I don’t have enough faith.” “I don’t deserve to receive that.” “Why would God give me that anyway?” We must remember when we tell ourselves these messages, we are saying more about what we believe about Jesus than ourselves.

I have never met a Christian man who when asked the question, “Would you like to do great things for God?” would say “Uh, no, not really.” We always answer with, “Yeah, I would.” Every man that answers “yes” believes the reap and sow principle, but somehow it gets twisted to mean a negative, as in “you’re only going to reap what you sow” or “you don’t deserve to reap, so why work so hard sowing.”

Where in your life are you out on a limb producing the biggest fruit you ever have, concerned more about the quality of your fruit than if the branch might break?

Look around your life for a moment … you are getting what you’re going for in every area. How do I know that? Because if you hadn’t gone for where you are, you wouldn’t be there!

Now, where is Jesus pointing you to go where you’ve never been? Here’s some good news … He’s already there. So maybe you just need to go … so you can get where you’ve never been and otherwise never would.

“When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.” —John 15:8 NLT