Joy or Duty?

Today's devotional is from Life is a Goldmine: Can You Dig it?

"For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God" - Hebrews 12:2.

You best accomplish goals not because you have to but because you choose to do so. If the joy of the end result is not uppermost in your mind and ever before you, you will lose heart and hope along the way and give up. Jesus kept the joy of the goal before Him and that enabled Him to endure the cross the despise the shame. You will do well to emulate His example.

Are your goals joyful or duty-bound? Is the vision of the end result so clear in your mind that you will endure what you must to see that vision come to pass? Is your creativity being utilized to help you achieve your goals or in finding ways or excuses not to accomplish them?

Lord, joy was Your motivator and I want it to be mine as well. But my fears and concepts of what I think it means to serve You cause me at times to abandon joy and embrace duty. I want to set goals that stem from my joy so that I can have Your strength to endure and achieve. Today and every day I choose to have a want-to and not have-to attitude.