Speaker: Darlene Sala | Series: Encouraging Words

A young mom who was having a frustrating week sent me an email saying, “I’m in a ‘kicking, screaming, I don’t wanna’ do it’ mood this week.”  Can you identify with her? I certainly can. Sometimes I go so far as to get my week totally organized—lists made, priorities identified—and then I look at the #1 item on the list and think, “I don’t want to do this–I’m not in the mood—in fact, I’m not going to do it!”

In the Bible there’s a word for this—and not a very nice one! It’s “disobedience.” Oh, I don’t like to call it that. I like to convince myself that if I obey God in the big decisions, the little decisions are mine to make as I will.

But doing God’s will in the present moment is all-important because this is really the only moment I have. Joe Stowell says, “Followers [of Christ] can reduce all of life to the question, ‘What is it that my Father in Heaven wants for my life in this moment?’”[1] So, doing what I ought to do when I ought to do it really means, “Do I love God enough to put His will above my own—right now?”

It’s good to be honest when you have a “kicking, screaming, I don’t wanna’ do it” week. If you don’t face up to it, you’ll stuff the feelings inside–quit exercising, waste time, watch too much TV, and get even more angry or depressed. It’s okay to vent to God exactly how you feel—in fact, it’s a lot better than taking it out on everybody around you.

But after you and I have told God how we feel, we still have to admit that the issue is really obedience or disobedience. That’s when we must settle it with Him.

Jesus said, “The spirit is willing, but the body is weak” (Mark 14:38).

You’re right, Lord. Please help me. The spirit is willing but oh, that body!

[1] Joseph M. Stowell, Following Christ (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1966), page unknown.