Genesis 46:1
"And Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices unto the God of his father Isaac."
In the sports world, you will often hear a player say that they didn't leave anything on the field. A coach will say in the locker room before taking the field, "Be sure to give it everything you have, and don't leave anything on the field." What they mean by that statement is that they gave every ounce of energy and effort to win the game. Whether or not they win, they can look back with no regrets.
It says in the verse above, "And Israel took his journey with all that he had..." This was more than just taking his possessions; it was also inferring to his energy and emotions. He was an older man, and to take a long journey like this took "all that he had" to complete it. If he had only gone with half of his effort, he could have turned back. If he held back any effort or energy, he may not have made it. He gave every ounce of energy and effort to make that journey to see his son.
This is truly one of the keys to being a success in whatever you do. Success is never achieved through half-hearted efforts, but it takes your whole being for success to find you. I often say that you don't find success, but success finds you. The only way it will find you is if you give your whole effort in whatever you do in life. Success found Israel because he "took his journey with all that he had." Going with all that he had means a couple of things.
First, it means that you must not hold back your effort. Friend, no ministry will thrive with a half-hearted effort. If you want your ministry to thrive, then you must give all that you have to make it happen. A pastor who gives part of his effort to the ministry will never reap a thriving ministry. A bus captain or Sunday school teacher who is only trying to fulfill their religious obligation for the week will not see their ministry reach its potential. One of the biggest reasons that ministries struggle is not the current atmosphere of sin, but the effort given by Christians.
Furthermore, a business person will never see their business thrive with a half-hearted effort. You must give your whole effort to your business to see it take off. Lazy people who go into business to have more time for themselves normally do not make it. You find that people who succeed in business give more time to their business than any employee, and they give every bit of energy they have to make it profitable.
Second, going with all you have means you are not going to leave anything behind. In other words, you aren't looking to turn back. Burn your bridges and determine you are going to make it or die trying to make it. If you have a bridge to go back to where you were, then you will never succeed with what you do. You must be willing to give all your resources to make it. Mediocrity is the result of not burning bridges. When you step out by faith and determine you are going to make it or die, you will find that excellence becomes your expectation.
Are you serving God with all that you have? Are you giving all your energies and burning your bridges to succeed in God's will for your life? You will never excel in anything until you make it a habit to do whatever you do with all that you have. Starting today, determine to give all that you have every day of your life. End each day by not leaving anything on the field. If you will do this, success will find you.