He was exactly right. The Word of God is filled with this truth. Personal resolve has the power to take you to the dreams in your heart.
Unfortunately, too many people are held back from resolving to do something great for the Lord because they don't feel like they can achieve much. They are subconsciously convinced of certain limitations on their capacity for success.
"I'll never get out of this dead-end job." "I don't have the right kind of education to succeed." "I just don’t have what it takes to get promoted." If you've ever said—or thought—these things, get them out of your vocabulary. Subliminal concerns such as these will limit a person's willingness to step out and make a personal resolve to achieve a particularly high level of success.
I don't know what God has planned for you, but I do know that His plan for you is far greater than you have ever dared to think. You are a potential world changer, and you have the capacity available to you to achieve great things.
First Corinthians 2:9 says:
But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. (KJV)
God won't force His plan upon you, but He will help you accomplish it. It's up to you to discern His plan and then tap into His power to walk it out in your life.
Follow Your Heart
What have you determined you are going to accomplish in your life?
I find too many people who have determined that they will pursue a particular vocation because it's the most lucrative option, or their parents want them to do it, or it's the most prestigious option and their ego wants a boost.
These mindsets are wrong. We don’t pursue money or fame. We don't pursue what someone else desires for us. We need to pursue the things God has gifted, anointed, and equipped us to do.
What are those things? Well, as you grow and mature in the Lord, desires will begin to take shape within you. According to the Bible, these desires are God-given. Psalm 37:4 says:
Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. (KJV)
When you seek to follow God in everything you do, your desires will actually reveal the call of God on your life. Your gifts, talents, and personality contribute to a particular direction that you'll succeed in more than any other.
If you have a desire to be a salesman, resolve to become the best salesman you can possibly be. If you have a desire to become a teacher, resolve to become the best teacher you can be. If you have a desire to become an electrician, resolve to become the best electrician you can be.
Shortcuts Don’t Work
Please understand that the power of personal resolve isn't intended by God to be a shortcut for the responsibility and effort that needs to be made in preparation for it. Much of the preparation for your calling is being faithful in the ranks. When you're in a particular arena of life's endeavor that you feel is far beneath where you've resolved to go, remember that God promotes faithfulness. What you are walking through is preparation for your future.
I had personally resolved at a young age to be a pilot. My dad had worked with Delta when I was just 3-4 years old so I always wanted to fly. Of course, I couldn't just trust that some day I'd find myself in the cockpit. I went through much training before I could be a pilot, from learning about aerodynamics and aircraft engineering to figuring out calculus and differential equations.
If you resolve to be a great business person but never learn about basic business management or financial management, it doesn't matter how firmly you've resolved to attain that goal, you won't achieve it without the preparation that's necessary.
The anointing and power of God enable you to be more than a conqueror and to achieve the highest and best God has for you in spite of the obstacles you may face. That power, though, is released only through your preparation and your personal resolve.
Excerpt permission granted by Mac Hammond Ministries
Mac Hammond is the senior pastor of Living Word, a large and growing church in Brooklyn Park (a suburb of Minneapolis), Minnesota. He is the host of the Winner’s Minute, which is seen locally in the Minneapolis area on KMSP Channel 9 at 6:44 a.m. and 11:11 a.m. He is also the host of the Winner's Way broadcast and author of several internationally distributed books. Mac is broadly acclaimed for his ability to apply the principles of the Bible to practical situations and the challenges of daily living.
