DUTY. DESIRE. These are two things that every human being MUST live by. Most of us have become DESIRE ONLY Christians; we spend our spiritual portion of our days PETITIONING. But the men and women of God who have done the greatest works for God had a STRONG SENSE OF DUTY.
Duty is NOT dirty. Doings are rewarded by the Lord!
Desire is NOT depravity speaking. Without desire we would have NO ZEAL and no hope.
Obedience, Faithful, Endurance, Overcoming, These are all actions based on DUTY.
Surrender, Love, Hope, Faith, Willingness, These are the things of DESIRE.
Set your affections on things Above (in the Heavens).
But make sure that you perform all your vows BELOW (here on Earth).
What is a CALLING? Is it a feel good thing? Or is it the Master summoning a Servant/disciple to the doing of a task?
When Jesus left the Earth, He did not say to his disciples: “And if you like what you have seen for the last 3 years, and it made you feel good, and it gave you goose-bumps, and made you smile, THEN GO AND PREACH TO ALL NATIONS.” There is a reason why so many of His words are in the imperative mood; the mood of COMMAND. Commanders command subordinates who have a duty to perform all that the commander has spoken. HE IS THE HEAD!
Americans today have no clue what a HEAD is. They think a head is merely a FIGURE! (Hence the word Figure-head is applied to Queens and Kings). And in the ‘democracy’-minded a leader is someone who must follow THE VOTE OF ALL OUR OPINIONS. But Christ is not so – the body of Christ IS THE EXTENSION OF HIMSELF! And HE feels a very strong DUTY to God the Father! He wants to only speak and show what the Father wants to speak and show. AND WE SHOULD TOO.
If you are having a DUTY problem, then ask God for healing, deliverance, and freedom. There have been many a Christian who was able to become a ‘cheerful giver’ to the spiritual work of God once God set them free in this area. And love will EASILY flow (follow) when we do not hold grudges against Him for the fact that we need to obey.
He is not just a wish-granter. He is a LOVING MONARCH who has all power, resources, and jurisdiction to GIVE to those who live by the HAND OF THE LORD. Give yourself to The Holy Spirit. Kneel. Bow. Rise. Turn. Go. AND SEE IF HE WILL NOT CONTINUE TO BLESS THE WORKS OF YOUR HANDS. Desire HIM! See if that won’t get you the PRESENCE, the REST, and THE COMFORT to do all that the Lord has put before you.
Original Copyright: © Anthony J. Massotti Th.M. 10/31/1999