It's something I was taught from a young age. My parents, primarily my mother, imparted to me the importance of faithfulness through the many years of practice at the piano. I wasn't allowed to just quite because I didn't want to practice, or because the novelty or desire had worn off, or because it was hard. My mother wouldn't let me just give up because it was difficult. And in those moments of me wanting to just end my musical career, she would talk to me about faithfulness and the rewards of being faithful - something I wouldn't truly reap till college.
Faithfulness may not seem like a big deal because faithfulness isn't one big momentous performance or event that happens. It's not something "we prepare for" and then it arrives like a birthday. Rather, faithfulness is hundreds and maybe even thousands of moments where no one may even see you being faithful.
I once heard my Senior Pastor say "Sometimes the best thing you can do is the thing you don't do".
What does that mean?
It means being faithful.
Growing up playing piano, I can't tell you the number of times I didn't want to practice and even wanted to quite. There were months where I went without a love for the piano or even music. I would cry. I would get angry. I would complain. But my mom never let me give into my emotions and desire to just walk away. She understood that the best thing I could do was the thing I didn't do - give up.
It's easy to give up. When things get difficult in my life, often, my first response wants to be "just give up". It's almost comforting to just give up. Had I been able to give up on piano growing up, I can tell you that it would have felt wonderful in that moment to have just stopped.
But what a loss it would have been if I had walked away from the piano at 12, 14, or 17. And in those moments of complete annoyance or lack of love for the piano, I thank God my mother was there to guide me and essentially, force me to continue with being faithful. Because I was not able (in those moments) to look ahead and see the benefits of being faithful. In the moment, all I knew was that it was hard, that I didn't love it anymore and I just wanted to quite. Thankfully my mom wouldn't let me. And had she, I would have forever looked back on the day I gave up and regretted it.
Had you told me that then though, I would have laughed and told you there was nothing I wanted more than to just quite.
Isn't that how it is so often in our lives? The areas where we struggle with faithfulness, it just seems so inviting and easy to give up, even if it means a loss. After all, is that thing we're being faithful to really that important?
My mom seemed to think so.
So next time you're considering not being faithful remember, "Sometimes the best thing you can do is the thing you don't do."
Faithfulness may not seem like a big deal because faithfulness isn't one big momentous performance or event that happens. It's not something "we prepare for" and then it arrives like a birthday. Rather, faithfulness is hundreds and maybe even thousands of moments where no one may even see you being faithful.
I once heard my Senior Pastor say "Sometimes the best thing you can do is the thing you don't do".
What does that mean?
It means being faithful.
Growing up playing piano, I can't tell you the number of times I didn't want to practice and even wanted to quite. There were months where I went without a love for the piano or even music. I would cry. I would get angry. I would complain. But my mom never let me give into my emotions and desire to just walk away. She understood that the best thing I could do was the thing I didn't do - give up.
It's easy to give up. When things get difficult in my life, often, my first response wants to be "just give up". It's almost comforting to just give up. Had I been able to give up on piano growing up, I can tell you that it would have felt wonderful in that moment to have just stopped.
But what a loss it would have been if I had walked away from the piano at 12, 14, or 17. And in those moments of complete annoyance or lack of love for the piano, I thank God my mother was there to guide me and essentially, force me to continue with being faithful. Because I was not able (in those moments) to look ahead and see the benefits of being faithful. In the moment, all I knew was that it was hard, that I didn't love it anymore and I just wanted to quite. Thankfully my mom wouldn't let me. And had she, I would have forever looked back on the day I gave up and regretted it.
Had you told me that then though, I would have laughed and told you there was nothing I wanted more than to just quite.
Isn't that how it is so often in our lives? The areas where we struggle with faithfulness, it just seems so inviting and easy to give up, even if it means a loss. After all, is that thing we're being faithful to really that important?
My mom seemed to think so.
So next time you're considering not being faithful remember, "Sometimes the best thing you can do is the thing you don't do."
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:11
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