Being Ready for the Stage

She changed her diet drastically to get rid of all the sugars and fats. She gave up hours in her day to be at the gym and work out, eventually giving up nearly whole days to be up at the gym doing cardio and weights. She drank enough water she probably should have a river named after her! She was very intentional about everything she ate and did. Everything working in one accord is what is was going to take to get her where she needed to be.
Then there is me, sure, I have given up most sugars, sodas except on very rare occasions, I enjoy plenty of cream in my coffee and I love my breads!!! And while I was exercising 3 times a week for a while, I now only make it to the gym once a week. So, of course I am frustrated that I have gained weight because of my choices. I stand next to my friend and feel fat!! I see her at the gym and I want to just quit. "I'll never make it to that!" Honestly, I don't want to have a competition body, but a tone and healthy body full of energy would be awesome!!! I know what my end goal is and what it would take to get there, so why don't I just do it?!?
What about you? What in your life are you wanting to achieve so bad and you know what it will take to get there and yet you find yourself standing still staring off into space?!  Going back to school? Spring cleaning the house? Reading certain books? Loosing weight? Changing the family diet? Getting back into church? Deepening your relationship with the Lord? Finding a bible study to join? Seeking counseling for personal struggles, parenting or marriage? Learning a new hobby? Starting a business? Taking the time to catch up on letters? Planning and Saving for a vacation or mission trip? What do you want? You might slowly move towards it, which, hey, forward is better than backwards, but...why are we dragging our feet when it's something we want?! Maybe we don't want it bad enough. Maybe it requires too much hard work? Maybe it means we will have to make sacrifices.
How can we justify our complaining about not having "it" when we are not being intentional to do our part to attain it? I whine and fuss about not looking and being as healthy even half as good as my friend, and yet, I can't complain cuz I am not doing what needs to be done! I have no right to complain. I have no one to blame but myself. My friend can confidently slip on that bikini and look fabulous on stage at the end of her training because she did everything she needed to do to be ready for that moment on stage while I would be horrified due to my own lack of preparation. If only I would have trained. If only I would have done what I was instructed to do to be ready.  
This is sooo true when it comes to our walk with the Lord. We have to be intentional and continually prepare our self so when it's Showtime, we can be confident. When times get hard, do we find ourselves ready and trained up? Have we prepared for the "stage" of betrayal, anger, temptation, illness, unemployment, crisis? My friend was lucky in that she knew the date of her Competition and could plan out her exact daily schedule. We, on the other hand, do not know when we will be placed on the "stage". We must live prepared and ready!
This is why it is crucial to be in God's Word daily! It's why we must gather together and not forsake fellowship with Believers. It's why we must confess our sins and ask God to cleanse our hearts from the unhealthy toxins and make it healthy and pure. This is why we must have accountabilities as we live in community that help us stay serving, growing, focused, motivated and equipped. Our goal as a Believer is to glorify The Lord our God with our life, to be His Light here and show His Love through our lives. It's takes being intentional in planning and consistent disciplines to accomplish that. There will always be reasons and excuses but are we ready to stay disciplined and intentional towards our end goal?! Can we stay motived instead of feeling defeated?!?
So, back to my original questions: You might slowly move towards it, which, hey, forward is better than backwards, but...why are we dragging our feet when it's something we want?! Maybe we don't want it bad enough. Maybe it requires too much hard work? Maybe it means we will have to make sacrifices.
I don't about you but I want to know God deeply and intimately. I want to hear God. I want to feel God. I want His strength and peace and comfort. Ultimately, I want to bring Him honor. The question is How badly? If I wanted it bad enough, it would not matter what the cost to me would be. Look at the example of Christ? He wanted you bad enough that He sacrificed greatly for you. He brought glory the Lord which was His ultimate goal. Whatever it took.
Now, what about you? Are you ready to be "on stage" in life? Will you be confident when trials come? One day, it will be the Heavenly Stage and we will stand with full confidence and beauty, fully complete in every way, lacking nothing!! Oh, Amen!!!!!

"Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God," for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire." James 1:12-14