Living according to God’s will for us is hard. We are called to be salt and light to the world. We are called to rejoice always, pray continuously, give thanks in all, to be thankful, and alert.
I think that for most of us that last one is the hardest. Following biblical teaching, we often think of sin as a lion crouching in wait for us. We think of a beast grabbing ahold of us and pulling us under. A leviathan of the deep with tendrils choking and crushing our bodies.
But, in my day-to-day life, the bigger issues are not the direct attacks that I can see and those around me join together to pray through. It is not in the big bully beast wrapping around me in attack. Instead, it is in the little taps of distraction on my shoulder. It is more like a buzzing fly, drawing my alertness away.
I sit down to read or pray and my mind goes a million directions. I stand in worship at church and feel a cramp in my foot or hear an instrument out of tune or feel cold or just start day-dreaming.
Even the chosen 3 apostles who went with Jesus to pray fell asleep time and again.
We are powerless. But God is not powerless.
Do you start your bible study with a prayer for peace and alertness and focus? Do you ask God to keep your mind and body focused on worship time? Do you call on the power of the Holy Spirit in each of these situations?
These tendrils of distraction are real evil things. Yes, everyone has them. They are completely “the norm”, but the norm is a fallen world permeated by sin. Normal and right are not the same thing.
I think this is an area that all of us can ask for God’s help in our journey to eternal holiness with Him.
My Answers:
10.
M28: Go – make disciples of all nations – baptize them (father, son, holy spirit), teach, obey, walk with Jesus, every day, every single day
J13: Understand that while Jesus is gone He is still glorified with and in us. Love one another, be known for love. We will follow Him.
1T5: Rejoice always, pray continuously, give thanks in all circumstances, accept God’s will, be in Jesus Christ. Trust, not doubt, rjct evil
H12: Be thankful, worship God (acceptably with reverence and awe), look forward to a kingdom that cannot be shaken
1P1: be alert, set hope on grace brought by Jesus, be obedient, do not conform to the evil desire, be holy because Christ is holy
11.
fear and doubt and worry. It is not in my belief, but in my unbelief. It is in the little ways and thoughts and temptations and words that are not the witness that they need to be. It is in my failures to pray continuously, but intermittently, to run ahead of God, instead of walk beside Him, to ask Him to save me instead of asking for direction in advance.
The Notes are Good 