Inspired

Although far-and-few between, those times when we can do just what we feel like doing - well, they are sweet indeed!  Without blinking, my mind goes to a rocking chair on a screened porch at a remote location, a folding chair underneath an umbrella on a white sandy beach, a front porch swing.  Now, only if my body will catch up to my mind.

 

Paul’s words to Timothy, no doubt, were not written from his favorite place; actually, he was in prison!  Nevertheless, he wrote, “I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus … preach the word; be ready in season and out of season.” (2 Timothy 4:1-2).  The what-to-do is clear – preach - but Paul doesn’t stop there; he says, do it whether you feel like it or not!  Quite frankly, there are a number of things I am not inspired to do but I do them anyway.  Why is it, then, Christians believe we can pick-and-choose which spiritual commandments to obey?  That's a good question to which Oswald Chambers offers this: "The proof that we are rightly related to God is that we do our best whether we feel inspired or not."  Much as we may hate to admit it, life for Believers is not about doing as we please.  Scripture tells us "For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake." (2 Corinthians 4:5).  To genuinely proclaim Christ is to leave behind self-inspired things and take-up Christ-inspired service to others. If we are not-so inspired, there’s clearly a spiritual problem.  I’ll be first to admit my servant heart is not near what it should be; how about yours?