But I Want To!

Thought For The Week 215 By Val Warsop

Adam Holz [Our Daily Bread] described constantly needing to redirect his easily distracted, enthralled young son through an amusement park.  “The child only has to follow his Mum and sisters,” he murmured, “Why can’t he just do that?”  As he pondered this, a startling thought hit him: “How often do I do exactly the same thing? How often do I veer from obediently walking with [Yahweh], enchanted by the temptations to pursue what I want instead of seeking His ways?” [italics added].

Temptations come in all shapes and sizes; something which tempts me may simply cause you to raise an eyebrow, and vice versa.  There are so many things we can ‘want’ which, although not sinful in themselves, nonetheless cause us to steal time away from what Yahweh has planned for us.  In this 21st century, we are surrounded by distractions, time-consuming innovations that eat up the minutes and hours.  The eye-gate is very persuasive in enticing us away from things that matter.  “Don’t get side-tracked” cautioned King Solomon [Proverbs 4:27, New Living Translation]! Do you get side-tracked?

But I want to…read this book, watch this film, play this game, listen to this music, explore this website… Such things can be perfectly acceptable, but all of them [with so much more] could become a damaging side-track.  How can we tell the difference?  Or understand when the good becomes bad?  The scriptures teach that Yahweh will alert us.  “Who, then, are those who fear [Yahweh]?” asks David. “He will instruct them in the ways they should choose” [Psalm 25:12].  The Holy Spirit will check us when our ‘wants’ would seek to draw us aside.  Have you felt that alert in your spirit?  Yahweh guides us in our ordinary choices!  “If we are going to choose what He does not want,” writes Oswald Chambers, “He will check, and we must heed.  Whenever there is doubt, stop at once” [italics added].

Yahshua identified this lifestyle as one of abiding, commanding, “Abide in Me” [John 15:4].  “In Him,” endorsed the apostle Paul, “we live, and move, and have our being” [Acts 17:28].  So be aware, take notice, and, if necessary, stop at once!

Photo by bertvthul
https://pixabay.com/en/road-beams-path-forest-nature-815297/

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