A DISCOURAGED DESIRE

Discouraged! 

That’s what I {Lindsey} have been feeling over the past few weeks. That first spark of excitement over starting this awesome site with some amazing and Godly ladies had all but been extinguished. My enthusiasm for writing the weekly devotional each week had dwindled. My desire to do much other than lay around relaxing, not cleaning my house, or tending to responsibilities was extinguished. I was left feeling unmotivated and unsure of exactly why. 

I believe we all go through stages of losing our will to really fight the fight, to persevere, and to keep living our purpose for God. It's tiring! People depend on us for a lot. When we are walking the Christian walk, not just saying but doing, people take notice. They rely on us for much. That can be exhausting. Then take a look around at the state of our world, our nation, our cities. They are quickly turning into the scenes that before we had only ever watched on tv. This is discouraging. The culmination of dependence on us and the desperate state of our nation can often lead to the extinguishing of our flame.

In our past weeks devotional I talked about the intense commitment that is required to shepherd or disciple to someone. Trust me when I say, I wasn’t just preaching to all of you last Thursday. That message was one that I had in many ways been giving myself for several weeks. Our relationship to Christ is like any other relationship in that our feelings of desire are ones that must be worked at. We aren’t going to wake up every day 100% ready to get out there and preach a sermon, write a devotional, witness to a stranger, but we are capable doing each of these things if we choose to remain committed despite our fleshly desires.

Our journey towards purposeful living is not a fun 20 minute joy ride to the mall, its that 16 hour ride from Ohio to South Carolina with 3 screaming kids in the back, a million potty breaks, twice as many spills, and meltdowns from all involved. However, the paradise vacation at the end of that journey is worth the hassle, the discouragement, and the wait. That first night on the beach, toes dipped in the ocean and warm sand all around you was worth fighting through discouragement and opting not to turn back for home after the first 20 minutes. How much more the reward we will get when we are greeted by Christ at Heaven’s gates if we can be one of the few to say “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” 2 Timothy 4:7 

Father, I pray that you help me to stay committed even when the fire isn’t there. Help me to actively pursue you  and your will for my life daily so that I might get through these times of discouragement and can fan that first spark back into a fire that no one will be able to miss. Help me to be content in times of challenge and to keep fighting the fight even when I wake up not feeling like it. I want to have a testimony like Paul’s. I want to be able to say that I have fought the good fight, have finished the race, and have the whole time kept the faith. Help me Lord to do that each and every day until I am home with you. In Jesus precious name, Amen.

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