So little or So MUCH --- It’s Your Choice!

In 2 Kings 13:14-19, Jehoash, the king of Israel, approaches the prophet Elisha and requests him to deliver Israel out of the hands of the Arameans. The prophet responds by instructing the king to take a bow and arrow. The prophet then places his hand on the hand of the king and instructs him to open the east window and shoot. After the king shoots an arrow out the window, the prophet declares,

“The LORDS arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Aram! … You will completely destroy the Arameans at Aphek!” 2 Kings 13:17

The shooting of the arrow towards the east was symbolic of Israel’s victory over the Arameans at Aphek. With the help of the Lord, Israel was going to completely destroy the Arameans at Aphek.

After declaring Israel’s victory over the Arameans at Aphek, the prophet goes on to instruct the king to take some arrows and strike the ground. The king struck an arrow to the ground three times and stops. After the king stops, the prophet rebukes the king in anger,

“You should have struck the ground five or six times: then you would have defeated Aram and completely destroy it. But you will defeat it only three times.” 2 Kings 13:19

Three strikes were not enough to completely destroy the Arameans: three victories over them would not obliterate them. Israel needed five or six victories over the Arameans to obliterate them. King Jehoash was not aware of this so made three strikes and stopped. If he knew that he needed five or six victories over the Arameans in order to obliterate them completely, I am sure that he would have made more than three strikes --- maybe seven, eight, nine or ten. Maybe many more!

So little or So MUCH --- It’s Your Choice!
Many of us are like King Jehoash in life. We are presented with the opportunity to do much in life but choose to do little. The year has just begun and many of us are still setting our goals for the year. As we set our goals for the year, we have the opportunity to set out to achieve so much or so little this year. The mistake that many of us will make is that we will set out to achieve so little.

Setting out to achieve so little includes creating solutions for current problems. It includes generating just enough money to make it to the next pay cheque. It includes planning for coming events and not beyond. Yet there are a few of us that will set out to achieve so much.

Setting out to achieve so much includes creating solutions for current and future problems. It includes generating enough money for today and a little extra for the future. It includes simultaneously planning for coming events and beyond them. Setting out to achieve so much is far much broader than setting out to achieve so little. You see beyond the immediate when you set out to achieve so much. When you set out to achieve so less you do not see beyond the immediate.

The reason why many people achieve so little in life is because that is what they set out to achieve. The reason why few people achieve so much in life is because that is what they set out to achieve. Are you among the many that achieve so little? Or are you among the few that achieve so much? You achieve what you set out to achieve. My hope is that you set out to achieve so much in 2011.

So little or So MUCH --- It’s Your Choice!

Be Inspired.