I Don't Really Want To

Fight on for God. Hold tightly to the eternal life which God has given you, and which you have confessed with such a ringing confession before many witnesses. 1 Timothy 6:12 TLB

Good Morning Girlfriends:

Over the course of many years working in the day care scene, lesson plans were made each week to teach the children in each class, as they learned through play, there would be one or two who would decide that they didn't want to participate in the activity we were doing. One might not want to lay down on their mat at quiet time, one might not want to eat the food that was placed in front of them, oh and there was always that one who would want to participate in singing in the Christmas concert that was being put on for all of the moms and dads, you can picture it all now can't you? Most of the little ones loved to paint and put together the craft that was laid out on the table before them, there would be one or two that didn't want to put their little hand in the paint or touch the sticky glue, or experiment with the home made slime that had been made, there were dynamics, as we learned to pick our battles and work through each situation.

As children grow, they are faced with so many different issues and dynamics these days it seems, so many different challenges are out there and sometimes they just don't know what to do or how to deal with them. One person might not want to go to school, one might not want to live at home anymore, some do not want to listen to advice or receive correction, but the big one that we may hear about is that they don't want to live because of the many pressures that they face each day at school, outside of school. I also think of the newly married couples who would like to buy everything all at once, the car, the house, the side by sides, the pool in the back yard and they are boggled down with too many bills and can't handle it all, with the children that has to be cared for, the couple ends up parting ways.

This morning I didn't really want to go out on the roads in the new fallen snow, driving a standard car for the first time in snow, but I knew I had to, in order to get the person to work that I've been helping out, my situation seemed so minor compared to all the other things that people face these days.

Girlfriends, even as we get older sometimes we are faced with not wanting to pray, or not feeling like it, but as we realize what is going on, it's the enemy who is trying to wear us all down in one form or another. A friend of mine and I decided that we would call each other once a week and pray for different situations, because we are living in such a day that there are many situations and people to pray for. Listen to the media for a few minutes and hear about all of the things going on in the world, there are many things to pray about. It's not a matter of I don't want to, I can't pray or I don't know how to, It's a matter of I have to pray in order for things to change in different situations.

Psalm 28:6-7 says, "Praise be to the LORD for He has heard my cry for mercy. The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and he helps me. My heart leaps with joy, and with my song I praise Him." The Lord is our strength and our shield when times are tough and we don't think we can carry on, but let's not forget that He is with us and gives us that strength to carry on.

In Matthew 26:39 where it says, 'He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying,' "My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine." (NLT) What was Jesus saying, He knew that the next day He was going to be crucified, was Jesus saying that he didn't want to go through with it...was Jesus thinking about the physical suffering that he would endure or the spiritual side of it, was He looking for a way out or around going to the cross.. these are all questions he may have been thinking, we don't know for sure. This is what we do know for sure, is that Jesus did go through with it, He went to the cross and willingly gave up His life for you and me, He knew this from the very beginning of time, the plan of the cross and what it would fulfill found in Ephesians 1:4 and Revelation 13:8.

Many times I have said to my children, "there may be things in life that you do not want to do, but you may have to," but wouldn't it be a wonderful thought, if we came to a place of "I want to, or want to," instead of "I have to." I want to help that person in need, I want to pray for that couple that lives up the street, I want to go to work so I can try to make a difference, I want to speak out God's scriptures so that situations will change for the good, I want to love my neighbor as I love myself, I want to do what God asks me to do. Girlfriends, as we each get stronger in the Lord, as we make a point of getting into His word each day, let us make it a habit to do these things in order to be more and more like Jesus, that is what I want for my life, I pray that for your life as well.

Let's Pray,

Precious Jesus, I thank you wonderful Savior that you did not back down from the cross, that you went ahead with Your fathers plan, so that we may be saved. Lord I lift up each individual that may be struggling with finances, relationship troubles and health issues as well. Lord I'm asking that you would make a way for finances to come and that their every need would be met in Jesus name and there would be no lack. Lord for the one that is having a hard time in their relationship, I'm asking that you would make every crooked path straight and smooth out the rough patches as they look to you for strength. Lord, for every health issue, I curse every infirmity in the Mighty name of Jesus and I send it back to the pit as a failure as I speak Psalm 107:20 over them to be healed in Jesus name, Amen.

Be blessed sweet ones and pass the blessings on.