When You Don't Want To
Do you ever struggle with having the "want-to"? You know you want to do something, but not quite enough to put forth the effort to make it happen right that moment...it can be anything from cleaning the house, cooking supper, getting up to exercise, or even the most important thing for a Christian each day--reading God's Word. I struggled with even writing this today because don't all Christians naturally want to communicate with God?
At least that's the thought that came to me as I struggled to get going. Tonight is Bible study night at the Cafe. We have been studying Malachi, which concludes the first part of our study on the minor prophets. It has been a wonderful, unexpected journey for many of us, but it has also been hard. It is not always easy to pick up God's letter to us and see our own sin exposed through the sins of His chosen people. It is not always easy to want to leave our families behind to go back out after a long day to gather together with others to talk about what we're reading and learning and to be open about our struggles to do what God has called us to do. BUT, today as I finished preparing for tonight (the end of Ch. 2) and previewing in case we get through Chapter 3, I found the gem at the end that I wanted to share as encouragement for anyone else who struggles with having the "want-to" sometimes. I like to read from different translations and study guides, and today's verses come from The Lockman Foundation's Amplified Bible:
Then those who feared the Lord talked often one to another; and the Lord listened and heard it,
and a book of remembrance was written before Him of those who reverenced and worshipfully
feared the Lord and who thought on His name. And they shall be Mine, says the Lord of hosts,
in that day when I publicly recognize and openly declare them to be My jewels (My special
possession, My peculiar treasure). Malachi 2:16-17
If this isn't encouragement, what is? The context for these verses are God's calling out his people (and priests) on their sins of pride and arrogance and their pitiful excuses when they were saying that it was "useless to serve God" and that it was of no profit to them to keep His Law and be humble before God. Their sin had blinded them to the truth. It is always best to humble ourselves before God. If we do, then we are able to follow Him and keep His commandments. But if we choose to walk in our own ways and neglect His, discipline will follow if we are His because He will not let us dwell in our sin comfortably for very long. Sin has consequences! Not having the "want-to" is not the problem...not doing is. So the next time we're feeling attacked by this, we need to remember that God sees our feeble efforts to study His word and worship Him and sees us His as precious, particular treasure. That makes it all worth it!
At least that's the thought that came to me as I struggled to get going. Tonight is Bible study night at the Cafe. We have been studying Malachi, which concludes the first part of our study on the minor prophets. It has been a wonderful, unexpected journey for many of us, but it has also been hard. It is not always easy to pick up God's letter to us and see our own sin exposed through the sins of His chosen people. It is not always easy to want to leave our families behind to go back out after a long day to gather together with others to talk about what we're reading and learning and to be open about our struggles to do what God has called us to do. BUT, today as I finished preparing for tonight (the end of Ch. 2) and previewing in case we get through Chapter 3, I found the gem at the end that I wanted to share as encouragement for anyone else who struggles with having the "want-to" sometimes. I like to read from different translations and study guides, and today's verses come from The Lockman Foundation's Amplified Bible:
Then those who feared the Lord talked often one to another; and the Lord listened and heard it,
and a book of remembrance was written before Him of those who reverenced and worshipfully
feared the Lord and who thought on His name. And they shall be Mine, says the Lord of hosts,
in that day when I publicly recognize and openly declare them to be My jewels (My special
possession, My peculiar treasure). Malachi 2:16-17
If this isn't encouragement, what is? The context for these verses are God's calling out his people (and priests) on their sins of pride and arrogance and their pitiful excuses when they were saying that it was "useless to serve God" and that it was of no profit to them to keep His Law and be humble before God. Their sin had blinded them to the truth. It is always best to humble ourselves before God. If we do, then we are able to follow Him and keep His commandments. But if we choose to walk in our own ways and neglect His, discipline will follow if we are His because He will not let us dwell in our sin comfortably for very long. Sin has consequences! Not having the "want-to" is not the problem...not doing is. So the next time we're feeling attacked by this, we need to remember that God sees our feeble efforts to study His word and worship Him and sees us His as precious, particular treasure. That makes it all worth it!
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