I call with all my heart, answer me, O Lord, and I will obey your decrees. Psalm 119:145

The story is told of Admiral Rickover. When he interviewed junior officers, he asked them two questions: “In everything you did, did you always give 100% effort?” The second was a followup (and always the same): “why not?” What Admiral Rickover understood about the human condition was that we tend to be slackers. Even in our mightiest efforts, we get tired and worn down. We get lazy.

The Psalmist writes that he calls out to God with all his heart. It may be that he, too, is worn down and tired, aching for relief. Like Adm. Rickover, I’ll ask the question, “When you call out to God, do you do it will all your might?”

And why not?

My answer probably reveals more about me than the question.