For His Glory

I heard a wonderful message this weekend about seeking the Lord. The wise teacher I heard speaking was using Moses as an example of one who sought God. In his message, he talked about Moses' desire to see the lives of the rebellious Israelites used for the glory of God.

He talked about Moses' pleas in Exodus for the people of Israel, and pointed out that the motivation behind his arguments with God were about claiming the right for God to be glorified by these rebellious people. Amazing.

I've been praying on and off all day today about what to write about here tonight. I think it's meant to be motivation.

Paul said, "I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out" Romans 7:18 (NIV). I know that, at least in speaking for myself, this is very true. There really are certain things that, without the powerful help of God, I would be utterly powerless to stop myself from doing. Thankfully, the more I learn to walk in step with the Spirit, the fewer and farther between those things are. So, that brings me to my next category of things....

There are also a subset of behaviors that I could stop myself from doing, but sometimes, I don't. I am not proud to admit that, sometimes, I find myself doing what it is that I think I can get away with. Now, thankfully, I don't mean any and all things I can get away with! :) But, I mean the things that "technically" aren't a real problem, or really don't hurt anyone... or, etc etc.

Here's an example:

Recently, I've been late to work - a lot. Now, in my mind's rationalization, it's not a big deal. I actually work at a place where a lot of people are late, and not the meager 5 minutes late that I've been... but 20-30 minutes late, and it's apparently "fine." So, I have been letting myself get more and more lax about my time in the morning... sleeping later, stopping for coffee on my way to work, etc. However, I started to feel a growing conviction about this behavior. Not because it's evil, and not because it's horrifyingly damaging overall. In fact, I bet that if I asked my boss directly if it was a problem for me to be 5 minutes late each and every day, the answer might be "Not at all." I work hard; I work through lunch many days.... Reasons just like those are the ones I was using to justify my actions. In other words, I can get away with it.

However, here's where motivation comes in. I feel like what I'm hearing in my spirit about this very topic is that the time itself isn't an issue. It's not about that. It's about my motives. "Check your motives" is a phrase I hear myself say a lot; I need to continue to remember to listen to my own advice.

Doing (or not doing) something simply because I can is not good. Moses fought and pleaded with God for the souls and destinies of a painfully rebellious Israel; it wasn't because he had to. Surely, he could have "gotten away with" just agreeing with the Lord's anger and allowing Israel to live into the fate they'd brought upon themselves. But he didn't. He went a step farther; he put in energy and effort and thought and passion. Not because he had to, but because he could, and (most importantly) because he was inspired to by his incredible reverence for the Lord our God.

I wish I could say I felt an overpowering emotional pull to get myself to work on time. I really don't. In fact, most mornings, at the critical decision making point, I'm still half asleep and thoroughly enjoying the coziness of a warm bed. At those moments, "five more minutes" seem all too appealing. So, no surprise, I'm not Moses yet. But I can learn from him. And if I've learned anything, it's that I can make a decision to act in a way pleasing to God regardless of how I feel. What's more amazing about this "self" He designed for us is that, when I do that, I find that the emotional feeling or desire to do these things, just for His glory, grows in me.

I will walk in the ways of the Lord; and some days, that means being on time to work. Only He knows if those 5 minutes will ever mean anything recognizable to anyone else. I know, however, that they mean something to Him.

I love You, Lord. May my ways be pleasing in YOUR sight...