Conquering the “I Don’t Want To”
Sometimes we feel so overwhelmed that we just don’t want to do whatever it is that is pressing on us at the moment. We know we should do it, but we just don’t want to.
Jesus understands that perfectly. When He was in the Garden of Gethsemane, He told God how He felt about what God was calling Him to do:
“My Father, if it is possible,
let this cup pass from Me;
yet not as I will,
but as You will.”
Matthew 26:39
Just like us, Jesus felt the human reaction of “I don’t want to do it,” but there was something that mattered to Jesus more than what He personally wanted to do at that moment. As much as He wanted to avoid what He didn’t want to do, as much as He dreaded the consequences of obeying His Father, He wanted to do His Father’s will much, much more and He trusted that God knew best.
Every child’s protest is his way of saying “I don’t want to do it” or “I want to do what I want to do.” Laying aside our own desires and conquering our “I don’t want to do it” are part of growing up.
Jesus is our perfect example of doing the right thing anyway when it mattered eternally.
Every time you do the right thing anyway, even when it feels hard or burdensome or exhausting, you are showing your child how to do that, too.
Brethren, do not be children in your thinking;
yet in evil be infants,
but in your thinking be mature.
1 Corinthians 14:20
I needed this today. Not feeling well but still have responsibilities. Thank you for reminding me the “why” of what I do.