Inspiration and commitment

Every once in a while an artist grabs my attention away from whatever I'm doing and simply inspires me. Sometimes it's looking at a stunningingly beautiful painting. Sometimes it's noticing an exceptionally brilliant performance in a play or movie. Sometimes it's reading an extraordinarily well written poem or composition. In this instance it was listening to a recently released album by a band I love.

The album is a live recording of a band called NEEDTOBREATHE. There is one particular song that caught me completely off guard in the way that it moved me. It's a song off one of their earlier albums called Washed By The Water and I've known it for a long time. On this album, however, for some reason, it just moved me to tears.

Listening to it, hearing it, allowing the melodies and lyrics flow over my soul, I was reminded that I had dreams and ambitions once. I was also reminded that many of those dreams and ambitions have never become reality. That is often where my thought process ends and I'm left in a pit of despair and regret. However, NEEDTOBREATHE is the kind of band that inspires me to look beyond the unfulfilled aspirations and add a 'Not Yet' instead of a 'Not At All.'

Inspiration, however, comes and goes. We may be inspired to start something new, to chase that dream, to follow the path less travelled. Inspiration runs out, though. For me it usually runs out around the first hurdle or challenge I face down that path. That's probably why Thomas Edison famously said: "We often miss opportunity because it's dressed in overalls and looks like work." Although inspiration is a good place to start, it is not enough to carry us through to the completion and fulfillment of our hopes and dreams. It is our legs that carry us; metaphorically speaking, of course.

The writer of Hebrews encourages us to run the race with perseverance, keeping our eyes on Jesus. Paul tells the Colossians to work at whatever they do with all of their heart, as if for the Lord. Solomon, in his old age, advises whoever is listening to do whatever their hands find to do with all their might (Ecclesiastes), because we only get one shot at this life thing. Keep in mind, regardless of how accomplished or not you might feel, that you are deeply, truly and intimately loved by God. We don't have to earn His love by doing our best. We do our best because of His astounding love for each one of us, and this wonderful gift of being alive that we have been given.

Sometimes, however, we won't see the end result of our efforts. But that should never discourage us to do our best, whatever we do, as if for the Lord.  The Sagrada Familia is a minor basilica in Barcelona, Spain. It is an immensely beautiful piece of architecture, designed by Antoni Gaudi in 1883. At the time of Gaudi's death in 1926 the Sagrada Familia was only a quarter finished. In other words, it took Gaudi (and the builders of course) 43 years to build a quarter of this marvel. To this day, it is still not finished. The project managers currently working on it hopes to have it finished in 2026. Others will finish what Gaudi started. But all of it, and all that took part in it, will be done for the glory of God.

So... I hope you are inspired. Often. Regularly. Unexpectedly. But I also hope that you will carry on when inspiration ebbs away, because Jesus is pleased with you. Because He is proud of you. Because He loves you. And, whenever our time on earth ends, may you echo Paul's words in 2 Timothy 4:7 "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."

And listen to NEEDTOBREATHE. They're good.