Today’s Daily Bread ~ “I don’t feel like it!”

Luke 22:41-42 – He walked away, about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, “Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me.  Yet I want Your will, not mine.”

I am so grateful that Luke recorded these words.  They display the full humanity, yet the full deity of our Lord, Jesus Christ.  Jesus knew what He had to do.  And He was afraid.  “Take the cup, please take the cup.”  But He was strong, and His love for the Father and mankind overrode that fear.  “Not my will Father, but Yours.”

I have a confession to make.  I do not want to be writing right now.  I’m not in the mood.  I’m exhausted, I have to get up early in the morning, and because of Thirsty Thursday, I’ll be up late tomorrow night.  I’m grouchy, and all I really want to do is go to bed.

As I type, feeling guilty about being grumpy, I’m sitting in the quiet library of my church.  My children are upstairs at Pioneer Club, running around, singing songs and learning about Jesus.  I did not want to take them here tonight.

Nope, tonight is one of those nights that I would’ve loved to hand over my mommy duties and let someone else be in charge.   Because right at this very moment, I don’t feel like being a blogger or a responsible adult.  But here I sit, typing away while the clock ticks, until it’s time to get my children.

I sure am glad Jesus didn’t give in to His feelings.

We don’t focus on His humanity very often.  But Jesus had feelings.  He had emotions.  He felt sorrow, anger and joy.  And that night in the Garden of Gethsemane, He felt fear.  Luke 22:44 – He prayed more fervently, and He was in such agony of spirit that His sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood.  I think it’s safe to say that at that particular moment, Jesus did not feel like climbing onto that old, rugged cross. 

Friends, it’s not a wise practice to rely on your feelings.

Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.  Seek His will in all you do, and He will direct your paths.” 

Peter rose up to defend Jesus, and Jesus stopped him.  Then Simon Peter drew a sword and slashed off the right ear of Malchus, the high priest’s servant.  But Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword back into its sheath.  Shall I not drink from the cup the Father has given me (John 18:10-11)?”  Jesus came to earth to do the will of His Father.  His feelings, his human feelings, did not get in the way. 

I have a 3:40am wake-up call every morning, Monday through Friday.  Guess how often I feel like getting up.  But I do get up, and I go to work, and I do my best.  I don’t always feel like I love my husband.  That’s ok.  Because the Bible rarely uses love as a feeling.  Love is a verb.  Love demands action.  Love takes discipline and self-restraint.  Love means bathing the kids when I’m tired.  It means trusting that if I do the loving thing, the emotion and the feelings will follow.

My friends, the world doesn’t give a hoot about our feelings.  We are Christians.  We are ambassadors of Christ, fishers of men, commissioned to go out and make disciples of all nations.  We are to sing praises to the LORD our God whether we feel like it or not.  We are to study His Word whether we feel like it or not.  We should go to church whether we feel like it or not.  Because when we are faithful to Him, He is faithful to fulfill His promises.

When we are faithful, He hears us, answers us, and carries our burdens.  Psalm 34:4-6 – I prayed to the LORD, and He answered me, freeing me from all my fears.  Those who look to Him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces.  I cried out to the LORD in my suffering, and He heard me.  He set me free from all my fears.” 

When we are faithful, He gives us peace.  Isaiah 26:3-4 – You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in You, whose thoughts are fixed on You.  Trust in the LORD always, for the LORD God is the Eternal Rock.

When we are faithful, He rescues and protects us.  Psalm 91:14-16 – The LORD says, “I will rescue those who love me.  I will protect those who trust in my name.  When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble.  I will rescue them and honor them.  I will satisfy them with a long life and give them my salvation.”

If there had been any other way to salvation than the death of His Son, don’t you think God would’ve done it?  But we are sinners.  And God, in His righteousness, cannot set aside justice.  There must be a blood sacrifice, a spotless lamb.  And Christ stepped off His throne, cloaked Himself in flesh, subjected Himself to ridicule and humiliation, and sacrificed Himself so that an unbelieving people might believe and be saved.  So I say to myself, sitting in my neat little pile of self-pity, “Don’t feel like it?  Get over it…and get to work.”

Dear Heavenly Father, we thank You so much that Jesus was fully human and fully God.  How amazing that He felt temptation, fear, emotions, and still chose the cross!  He chose the nails because of His unfathomable love for us, and we can never repay Him for that!  All we can do is humbly accept Your grace.  God, help us to set aside our feelings, and trust that the peace and joy will come when we submit to Your will.  Help us to do good whether we feel like it or not.  To love, serve and shine whether we feel like it or not.  Strengthen us to do Your work, Lord, and to proclaim Your Word.  Let Your praise be enough.  Let joyful obedience to You and fellowship with Your Son be our reward.  We love You so much God, and we ask these things in the beautiful name of Your Son, Jesus Christ.  Amen.