Inner Strength | Lessons from Haggai

Haggai 1:2-6

This is what the Lord Almighty says: “These people say, ‘The time has not yet come to rebuild the Lord’s house.’”

Then the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai: “Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?”

Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.”

Sometimes we wait for a right moment or from a clear signal from God to get started on taking Him serious or taking His Word serious. However, in Haggai, we see that NOW is always the right time to take God and His Word serious!

A few Questions to consider:

  • Is your spiritual life being taken serious? Is it a top priority for you?
  • Do you feel like you walk the talk as a Christian?
  • Do you put your families spiritual well being as utmost importance?
  • Do you concern yourself with the wellbeing of Gods Church?
  • Do you think about God more than yourself?

To be able to really build and cultivate a strong spiritual life, we have to build from the core outward. Building something that will last takes a lot of inner strength!

3 Keys to Having Inner Strength:

1. Develop personal discipline

What is discipline? “training that develops self control, character, or orderliness and efficiency.” “Strict order to enforce obedience.” “The result of such training or control.” 

Odds are you know what it means. The question is, Do you practice it?

Questions to better understand how you are doing with personal discipline:

  • How organized am I?
  • How diligent am I with details?
  • How determined am I to stick with the plan and not get distracted?
  • How focused am I with my goals?
  • How’s my drive, consistency? 

Pr. 24:30-34

I went past the field of a sluggard,
    past the vineyard of someone who has no sense;
31 thorns had come up everywhere,
    the ground was covered with weeds,
    and the stone wall was in ruins.
32 I applied my heart to what I observed
    and learned a lesson from what I saw:
33 A little sleep, a little slumber,
    a little folding of the hands to rest—
34 and poverty will come on you like a thief
    and scarcity like an armed man.

Important question to ask yourself: “How disciplined am I with the important things in life I’m going for? Without strong personal discipline, you’re the sluggard in the field! Nothing to show, a wasted effort.

What are your thorns? (caution: thorns can be painful!)

  • Is there something painful blocking your personal growth?
  • What is it? Where does it come from? Fear? Past? Ignorance?
  • What will I do, NOW, to move beyond this?

What about the weeds?

  • What junk have I allowed to take up space in my life instead of the things I wish were there?
  • what do I need to get rid of from my life?
  • what steps will I take NOW to do it?

How’s your wall? That’s your frame! It marks out what’s important to you. Personal discipline will keep it intact. Identify your discipline strengths and weaknesses.

2. Develop a fully engaged heart

Pr. 24: 32  Remember the sluggard? What turned him around? “I applied my heart.” We’re successful with the things we apply our hearts to and get passionate about! You need passion for your dreams, a passion for your life.                                                   

Beware of the “passion killers”:  discouragement, disappointment, “perceived” failure (maybe you just haven’t succeeded yet!) fatigue.

Be aware of the “passion builders”: confidence, victories, determination, conviction.  Get your heart fully engaged and behind whatever your hands find to do. What stops my heart from being passionate about life? What can I do right now do develop more passion?

3. Develop strong peer and mentoring relationships

Pr. 11:14

For lack of guidance a nation falls,
    but victory is won through many advisers.

  • Who are your spiritual advisers?
  • “Do I see the need for those relationships? “Who might they be?”

Invite men into your life who can help you!

Discovering who you are is great / defining is great – we’ve got to now begin developing into the men we were called to be.

This past month, we have been really going after discovering who we are and defining who we are who God wants us to be. Now is the time to begin to build that. To begin developing into the men we were called to be.

The time is now, let’s all get excited and support each other on this journey!

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