Coffee With The Lord

I think I know the weakness and inclinations of my heart toward evil (I’ve yielded to temptation and failed and fallen enough that I ought to be aware)… And even then, I am not certain I understand fully the depravity of the human heart… It is because of that, I make the following my prayer today…

“Set a guard, O Lord over my mouth – keep watch over the door of my lips! Do not let my heart incline to any evil.” (from Psalm 141:3-4 ESV)

It might not be a bad idea to make that a daily prayer… You think?

This morning as I reflected on Luke 22:39-46 during “Coffee with the Lord” I asked myself, “How important is doing the will of God to you, LeRoy?” I was challenged by what I know to be the subtle seduction of self-will over God’s will!

With my mouth I confess commitment to doing God’s will, but all too often when the pressure is on and “push comes to shove” I find myself, to my dismay, defaulting to self will. Jesus warned his disciples about this…

“He said to them, ‘Pray that you may not enter into temptation.’ And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, saying, ‘Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.’ And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly… When he rose from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow, and he said to them, ‘Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation.’” (from Luke 22:39-46 ESV)

Is there a solution to this dilemma? Jesus recommended and modeled prayer! A little later Peter became the case study for needing it (even more than sleep!). He vowed, he’d never deny the Lord. The subtle seduction of self-will won and he denied the Lord three times! “He went out and wept bitterly” … in regret and a sense of weakness and failure! (verse 62)

I want the will of God to be more important to me than anything else! But if I’m to do it I’ve got to be more much more aware of the subtle seduction of self-will… AND my need of prayer to resist its temptation! Oh, help me Lord!

When I was a boy growing up in a little town in Western Montana, we had a family in our small church that was “infamous” in our community … Did you get that? I said “infamous” (not famous). They were anything but a testimony to the benefits and positive impact of knowing Christ. Their lawn was unkempt… just a patch of ground with waist high weeds with a broken down fence around it. Their house didn’t look like it had been painted since the beginning of World War I. Went in their house a time or two… just a narrow path through clutter and piles of collected junk. Every businessman in town knew them for their irresponsibility and unpaid bills. Citizens of the little community would just shake their head in wonder and disgust at the mention of their name… AND THEY WENT TO OUR CHURCH (didn’t give us the best advertising for practical Christianity)! And the sad thing was, the husband was an able-bodied man, wife was intelligent, and the kids were the victim (learning a lifestyle that was just like dad and mom’s).

Here’s what Apostle Paul had to say about that issue…

“Now we command you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother (or sister) who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us. For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone’s bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you. ⁹ It was not because we did not have that right, but to give you, in ourselves, an example to imitate. For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: ‘If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.’ For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living. As for you, do not grow weary in doing good! If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter, take note of that person, and have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed. Do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother (or sister).” (2 Thessalonians 3:6–15 ESV)

Hey, that’s not simply my opinion… it’s just practical Christian living and affirmed under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit by Apostle Paul. Want a paraphrase of it – just put in ordinary English? Here it is… Those who claim to be Christians should never be deadbeats!