Friday, February 19th, ‘10

Friday, February 19^th, ‘10

KEEP ON KEEPIN’ ON!

“Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for…” (Philippians 3:14)

Keep bookin’, keep lookin’, keep cookin’, keep on keepin’ on. If you’re worth your keep then you’ll keep it up. John wrote that “he who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him” (1 John 5:18). Shepherds are called keepers of the sheep, but each man is his own watchman. Paul said that every man must bear his own burden. Each must earn his “keep”. We don’t use that word much anymore in its original sense. Keep is a strong biblical word. The Lord takes seriously His title as “Keeper” (Psalm 121:5). The points to follow are all idioms, euphemisms, old clichés but they illustrate the effort expected from keepers.

First, if you desire success in life you need to keep your eye on the ball. Victory begins with vision. You have to see it to be it. And that means being perceptive, seeing what’s coming down the pike, knowing if it’s a curve ball, change-up or spitball that’s headed your way. Too many are blindsided. They didn’t see “that” coming. Having eyes to see they didn’t see, or at least, they were distracted from the main issue. Second, to succeed keep your ear to the ground. People, situations, intuition, etc. all give hints. In point one, be perceptive, but point two, be receptive. Take advice. Watch trends. Feel the pulse of your staff and organization. Don’t hesitate to lean on your spouse’s wisdom. Keep your ear to the ground (not your head in the sand, or somewhere worse).

Third, keep your teeth to the wind. Contrary winds can be expected. There’s no such thing as instant success. The claim is that instant success takes around twenty years. There will be plenty of opportunities to turn around, to abort the mission. Especially when it takes every dime you can scrape together to keep afloat. But Jesus faced the wind. We see Him walking on the waves in a Galilean storm. He didn’t call it quits because He had a mission to do and wouldn’t stop until all hell heard Him holler, “It is finished!” Fourth, keep the pedal to the metal. I’m not talking about driving recklessly, but nor should we progress with one foot on the brake. Paul voiced, “I press toward the mark…” The vision is to be written in billboard letters, that “he may run who reads it” (Hab 2:2). What God has for you to do is too urgent to hook up with slowpokes. Put the hammer down.

Fifth, keep your hand to the plow. Jesus said the same, “No man, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62). A sixth way of saying that would be, keep your nose to the grindstone. True desire separates the men from the boys. Those who want it, fight for it. Not everyone wins a Super Bowl ring but many will receive the crown of righteousness that is awarded to all who can say, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith” (2 Tim 4:7). Which leads to a seventh thought, keep your chin off your chest. Or lip off the ground, whichever. Stay encouraged. Be a self-motivator. Maintain a can-do spirit. The good news is that God is fighting for you so none of your work need be in vain. Just a quick word to spur you forward today, keep keepin’ on!