Skip to content ↓

Think of the End to Motivate the Action

action

I believe in the value of Sunday evening services. But my belief in their value is not evenly distributed across the Lord’s Day. I believe in them a lot at 7:00 PM, just after the service has come to a conclusion. I believe in them far less at 4:30 PM when I have to pry my weary body off the couch, get in the car, and drive to church. I believe in evening services far more a half hour after they’ve ended than a half hour before they’ve begun.

I believe in the value of prayer meetings and even of dedicating a full morning to corporate prayer. But I believe in our morning of prayer more at 12:30 PM than 6:30 AM. I’ve never once regretted participating, but I’ve often been tempted not to. Though I’ve always come home joyful, I’ve often gone out grumbling. I believe in prayer meetings far more after they’ve ended than before they’ve begun.

I believe in exercise more after I’ve finished it than before I’ve broken a sweat. I believe in spending special times with the kids more as we walk back into the house than as we set out. I believe in calling that person more after I’ve hung up than before I’ve pulled out my phone.

In so many ways and in so many areas, belief and enthusiasm follow rather than precede. In so many ways, the good life, the godly life, demands thinking of the end in order to motivate the action. Too often we deny blessings to ourselves and others because we think more of the friction that precedes an action than the reward that follows it.


  • New-and-Notable

    10 New and Notable Christian Books for July 2025

    As one month fades into another, I want to make sure you’re up-to-date on some of the noteworthy new Christian books that released in July. In each case I have provided the editorial description so you can learn a little bit about it. There are some great books to look through.

  • A La Carte Friday 2

    A La Carte (August 1)

    A La Carte: Living pure in a corrupting age / The tyranny of the urgent / Low expectations for church / The big man syndrome / Removing library books / Cultural bias / Kindle deals / and more.

  • A La Carte Thursday 1

    A La Carte (July 31)

    A La Carte: What is the gospel? / Ambitious goal setters / The digital tug-of-war / Filthy rags or fragrant offerings? / Dear weary caregiver / The change along the way / and more.

  • Pastors Mind

    What’s Going On In Your Pastor’s Mind?

    It is one of the strengths, or perhaps one of the weaknesses, of the human mind that it can have different “tracks” playing at the same time. Even as one series of words is emerging from a person’s mouth, an entirely different series of words may be flitting through his brain. He can have an…

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (July 30)

    A La Carte: How John MacArthur changed American preaching / David French and Chip Gaines / Baptism blunders / No one who abides in him keeps on sinning / Guardrails for humor and joking / and more.

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (July 29)

    A La Carte: The simple, but precious, faith of our fathers / Will my dog be in heaven? / Read books, not AI summaries / Remembering Hulk Hogan / Why am I anxious? / Tired of hard things / Logos and Kindle deals.