In this chapter, Solomon is talking about doing whatever it takes to settle a debt. Obviously, that’s a good idea. But I’m intrigued by the idea of doing whatever it takes in other circumstances as well. I found myself pondering the question: When have I ever done whatever it takes? I grew up as a competitive tennis player in Florida, and there were certainly matches when I felt like I did whatever it took to win. As a youth minister, there were young people whom I considered exceptionally challenging to reach with the gospel. I would say I did whatever it took to reach them, though they didn’t always respond. There have been a lot of examples in my life of doing whatever it took. However, in some of the disciplines of the faith, such as Scripture memory, assembling together with the body, daily devotions, and even prayer, I can say without hesitation that I have not always done whatever it took to practice those disciplines the way God desires us to. I know other high-performance athletes, and I have certainly seen them do, and heard them talk about doing, whatever it took to win a position on the team. They knew the reward would be a phenomenal payoff or simply an amazing achievement. Sometimes I think it’s easy to slip into a mode of believing that we are headed to heaven, and it would be nice to do some of these things that God desires more effectively and aggressively than we do. But in the end, we wonder if it really matters. Scripture assures us that it does. Ultimately, I believe that when my wife, Jennifer, would ask me to do something, or when I simply knew she would like something, I found myself doing whatever it took to make it happen for her. It was because of a love that was so overwhelming. It drove me. Our love for God should have that same effect. We do not do these things because He requires or demands them, but because we love Him that much. Today, do whatever it takes. #BeTheEdge.
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,” Colossians 3:23 NIV
