No Excuses…

 

In thinking about what it means to walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh, the desire to be comfortable seems the most powerful issue for most of us, myself included. When illness or pain jumps in, my prayers are for healing and relief. I don’t want my body to suffer.

My old nature’s desires go deeper than skin. My mind wants to know answers, the bottom line of things. This results in impatience with God's timing and lack of trust that He even hears me. This is how my flesh thinks — too often.

Emotions factor in too, all the negative ones like sinful anger, fear, envy, hurt feelings, etc. As much as my old nature might want to be happy, that emotion is based on circumstances so I might be praying for all sorts of things that would make me happy.

Human desires to be noticed, praised, put first, have all I want (even call them needs), and that hunger to win prizes, perform perfectly, and get an A on everything comes from that fleshy nature too. The only way to overcome this me, me, me stuff is to be filled with the Holy Spirit and yielded to His control.

It is a daily thing, a moment by moment thing. If my cup is upright and He is poured in, the only thing that ruins it is sin, not mere outward actions (“But I’ve never murdered anyone”) but inner attitudes, expressed or not.

Piper writes about the importance of meditation on Scripture that stress the supernatural reality of my Christian life. He begins with: “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” (2 Timothy 3:12) My mind argues that there are degrees of persecution but I cannot fool myself. If I were more public about faith, I could be a target.

Piper also says the Spirit-filled life is joyful with meaningful labor in the cause of Christ. “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:58) This requires more than I can do. At my age, the flesh is too weak and tired to imitate it (some people try to do it in the flesh) so I can use that as an excuse to avoid the menial tasks and leave them to the younger people rather than seek the energy of the Spirit and do anything that requires more than my flesh can give.

The Apostle Paul puts my excuses where they belong. He said:

I can do all things through him who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13)
Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. (Philippians 2:12–13)
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. (Ephesians 6:10)
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (2 Corinthians 12:9)
But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. (1 Corinthians 15:10)

All this reminds me that Moses was eighty when God put him to his most serious work. This link lists more who changed the world in their later life. My excuses need to be replaced by God's specific instructions. I’m not called to be a pastor or an evangelist, or anything that I’m not doing, only to daily walk in the Spirit and obey Him, whatever He asks me to do. No excuses or “yea, but” responses. I can confess my sin, but better to obey in the first place. As Samuel said, “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.” (1 Samuel 15:22)

PRAY: Lord, You whisper that making excuses can be a pride thing that addresses a selfish ambition to be more than I am and an attempt to explain why I’m not, but that dishonors You also. Your will for me is not the same as my prideful will for me. Instead of excusing it, I admit that I can want more for my own glory than wanting it for Your glory. Duh. Forgive all discontent and enable me to want only your will — so that You are glorified. Amen.

Surprise Attacks

 

MacArthur begins his devotional with a truth that I’m well aware of — Satan wants to catch me off-guard. For instance, I am fine with a certain person until that person mentions something based on a lie, and I get instantly annoyed with the lack of discernment to what  seems obvious to me. This reaction makes me wonder if I am thinking wrong or is the problem as real as it seems. What I do know is that I am to: “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.” (Ephesians 6:11) He is the accuser of the brethren and could be at work here.

The devotional reminds me that the devil attacks God’s Word, but he also attacks God’s people. Three weapons used are persecution, peer pressure, and preoccupation.

Persecution is not a surprise. “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” (2 Timothy 3:12) Persecution comes from those who resist God to the point of hating all who obey Him or who remind them of their sin. Other motivations are possible, but mostly I wonder why anyone would hate holiness to that degree.

Peer pressure can also be an effective weapon. I can remember times when I did not speak about Jesus for fear of offending others and ruining my relationship with them. God is teaching me to speak what He puts on my heart and trust Him with the results. Many times I’ve been surprised at receptivity rather than rejection and realize some people have an unspoken hunger for truth and for spiritual encouragement. They welcome anything that points them in the right direction.

The third weapon is preoccupation with the world. Being a Christian in America isn’t as life-threatening here as it is in some countries. This distraction puts people in danger of spiritual complacency. When I have been preoccupied with this life’s stuff, listening to God and doing His will becomes fainter. God wants me totally preoccupied with serving and glorifying Jesus Christ, not involved in worldly thinking:

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. (1 John 2:15–17)

Jesus tells me to not to be concerned about worldly gains, or even daily needs. He says, “For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:32–33)

On the other hand, the enemy wants me to worry about stuff like the price of groceries, loss of income, having enough friends, being popular, being competitive in some area, and so on. The solution is:

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:1–2)

To this, He adds: “For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.” (Romans 12:3) If I am thinking too highly of myself, I am having problems with worldliness, and that is a tool of the devil to keep me from trusting God (instead of me). I even become unable to pray with the humility necessary for asking God’s help.

PRAY: Jesus, grant me the grace to remember that You can use persecution to mature me and bring glory to Yourself. Enable to me to daily choose to please You and never fear what people can do to me. Also, help me to properly evaluate what is important to You rather that being preoccupied with worldly ideas or anything selfishly desired and unrelated to Your kingdom and Your will. One thing I do know is that if I were not experiencing enemy attacks, it would be because I’m no threat to him. Keep me spiritually alert so his attacks do not catch me napping.

PONDER: Matthew 26:31–56 tells how the disciples were caught off-guard. What would have helped them (and me) avoid the surprises that the enemy uses to render God’s people useless?