Determination 1 of 5

DETERMINATION
Vineyard Church NW - Jody Burgin

Determination gives us the resolve to keep going in spite of the roadblocks that lay before us. After one to four years at sea, the king salmon determines to head home – back to the stream where it hatched. Swimming against the fierce river currents and leaping up waterfalls, the mighty salmon actually increases its daily speed as it covers the hundreds of miles home. No matter how daunting the task, to be determined is to see it through despite the obstacles and currents facing us!

Paul exhorts in Philippians 3:12-14, “Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. ”God calls us to determination– to never go backward. Attempt, and do it with all your might. Few things are more rewarding than the exhilaration of achievement after wholehearted effort. The stronger the current opposing us, the sweeter the victory will be.

DETERMINATION vs. Withdrawal
Purposing to accomplish right goals at the right time, regardless of the opposition.

“I will…”
Set goals reflecting my faith in God.
Make sure my goals are right.
Persist against opposition and ignore distractions.
Not be discouraged by other’s attempts to dissuade or discourage me.
Face problems head-on.
Therefore, if any one is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come. 2 Corinthians 5:17

A.J. Cronin is a fine novelist with an inspiring perspective. His novels portray ordinary men who attempt to live honest and true lives in a world filled with cruelty and deceit. The Keys of the Kingdom tells the story of Francis Chisholm, a Scottish orphan who becomes a missionary in China. His experiences there are those of the most ordinary man who has an extra-ordinary commitment to the principles of Christianity. He works most of his life against overwhelming odds and determinedly overcomes countless failures. One day he is talking to a farmer who is moaning over the loss of his garden to a recent flood. “My plantings are all lost; we shall have to begin all over again,” he cries. Chisholm replies, “But that’s life, my friend; to begin again when everything is lost.”

The life of the Christian is continually persisting against opposition. We are never finished. Our adversary attempts to dissuade or discourage us constantly. Through determination, we accomplish right goals in spite of opposition. If our plantings are washed away, we start over. New beginnings are inevitable. No one sees this pattern of grace any better than those of us who live in vital connection with others. We are close enough to know one another’s weaknesses, vulnerabilities and failure. Yet, despite our failings, losses and opposition, we begin again and again. It is the way of God.

Dear Lord, help me accept your cycle of loss and gain and through determination surrender myself in trust to your presence in all my new beginnings.