[Steve Myers] Sometimes we just need the help to keep going. I was in junior high school and I was taking my very first class in foreign language, and it was German. And I missed a couple of days of school because I was sick and when I came back, I had no clue what was going on. It was like, everything's foreign to me, which it was, it was a foreign language. I got so discouraged, I was at home, was like, I just want to drop this class. I wish I could get out of it. And there was no way out. And I was looking for some way for some help. 

And my mom was listening as I was complaining and whining about this class, and she said, "Listen, just buckle down, put your mind to it, and you can do it. You can do this. You just have to concentrate and stick to it." Of course I wanted to give up but she just kept encouraging me. And so it was such a good reminder that all right, I can do this if I really put my mind to it. And so I got back to class, I talked to my teacher, gave me some backup help and I began to catch on a little bit. But, you know, it was just a word at a time. It wasn't like I could suddenly grasp everything there was to know about German, it was, "No learn this word and take that first step."

And as I began to do that, sure enough, I began to catch on little by little by little, but I really had to put my mind into it, I had to really concentrate and not just kind of have this half-hearted effort that I was initially, you know kind of weighed down with. And so with my mom's help, I was able to stick to it and, you know, I ended up taking four years of German throughout my high school years. And I think I actually learned a little bit of it along the way. 

But it is a biblical principle when you really think about it because we're told that if we're going to succeed, we really have to put our minds to it.

And there's a section of scripture in the book of Ecclesiastes. Ecclesiastes 9:10, here's what it says. It says, "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might." Do it with your might. Don't just have a half-hearted effort, but really put some effort into it that you can succeed, you can grow, because in a way, God's challenging us to be the best that we can be. Don't just be half-hearted. And it's true in German class but even more so when you think of it spiritually, we can't half-heartedly, you know, try to be a Christian. If it's worth doing, do it to its fullest.

You know, that marathon takes that first step. You're gonna write a book, you gotta write the first sentence, you're going to learn German, you got to learn the first words and continue to do it over and over and over again. So, God's encouraging us, "Don't hold back, don't just have a half-hearted effort, but put everything you are into it and make that change." And so we can do it.

I think it was Calvin Coolidge once said, "There's nothing so common as talented people who are unsuccessful." Because you have to put your mind, your heart, your will into doing what's most important. And spiritually speaking, that's critical as well. So let's take the challenge. Let's petition God, ask Him to help us to really put all of our effort into following and obeying and doing His will. When we do that we'll be most successful.

That's BT Daily. See you next time.