Russ Bowman
Ability is seldom the sole determinant of success. In fact, there are a lot of talented people in the world who are not successful in that particular area of ability in which they are gifted. One can consider the realm of athletics and see that men do not excel because of talent alone. I readily admit that some ability must be present, but very often the ones who leave a mark on a particular spot are the ones who are not quite as talented as the other, yet they have the one thing that sets them apart from the rest -- they have desire. In baseball, Pete Rose earned his success not simply because he is a great hitter, but more so because of his desire. I've read many more articles that focused upon his "Charlie Hustle" attitude than on his batting form. People speak of race horses in the same way. The fastest horse is given no more praise and admiration than the one who doesn't have quite as much speed, but if the race was run on desire alone, would be "invincible."
The obvious reason for this very real phenomenon is that desire causes one to focus on his ability, and to sacrifice in order to develop that talent to its fullest, and to concentrate first and foremost, on whatever ability involves, whether it be baseball or racing or football or tennis or swimming. Whatever the specific area of action, desire is the quality which separates the successful from mundane. Desire is simply the willingness to sacrifice; the inclination to serve whatever talent that you want to develop and to serve it first and foremost, all of the time.
Thus, the ones with desire spend that much more time practicing their trumpet instead of to the movie, or swimming laps, instead of going shopping.
I propose that desire is every bit as important to successful Christianity as anything else one could perceive. Making sacrifices and taking precautions are direct signs of a willingness to serve. A person who truly wants to serve God, first and foremost, will sacrifice gladly. In Matthew 19, we read of a young man who came to Christ seeking the path to eternal life. Jesus, recognizing his weakness, told him to forsake his riches and sacrifice them for the Lord. I have no doubt at all that the young man truly wanted to inherit eternal life. I am totally convinced that he had the ability to live faithfully (see verse 20). His own shortcoming, however, was that he lacked the desire to be successful. He did not have that longing, that craving, that lust to succeed in spiritual matters which he needed to gain the reward. Were that desire present, he would have had no reservations about sacrificing his riches, but his willingness to serve was not strong enough.
Friends, we cannot go to heaven without this desire. It is not simply hope, or faith, or love, even though desire involves all of these things. Desire is more than that. It is the frame of mind which makes us worker harder, to sacrifice more. To develop our potential to the fullest. Why do we have such a hard time giving up sin? Why is it that we just can't seem to kick the habit, whatever that habit may be? What is preventing us from being successful Christians in any area of service? The answer to each of these questions is a lack of desire. We don't become, deep down inside, what we don't want to. Realizing that this is true, we can see the origin of the saying "Where there's a will, there is a way."
Paul said, "This one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark" (Philippians 3:13,14). Just a few verses earlier he says, "Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord." That, ladies and gentlemen, is desire. A person who truly desires to go to heaven will have no trouble saying no to sin. Oh sure, he will still be tempted, and maybe even more so, but his focus will be on heaven, and nothing else will matter. Anything which may deter him from achieving success will be shunned without even a second thought, for desire is a willingness to sacrifice all in order to attain an end.
"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it."
Heaven is just a matter of sacrifice, and sacrifice a matter of desire. How much do you want it? "Where there's a will there's a way!"
~In Gospel Power, Anderson, Alabama, 11/3/96.