TEST: MY DILEMMA: DO I HAVE TO? VS. DO I WANT TO?
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com (Two part?)
I love to start with a question: WHY ARE YOU SO ANGRY? What makes us angry? Can we control our anger and attitudes? Near sighted? Far sighted? Tunnel vision? Night blindness? Total blindness…
LORD OPEN THE EYES OF MY HEART AND MIND… The greatest distance in the world is the average 18 inches between the brain and the heart…
*Dilemma: a difficult, persistent problem, unpleasant choice, situation to have to make a choice, to have a problem with hard choices…
*HAVE TO---, *NEED TO---, *LIKE TO--- *WANT TO---
WE SEE THROUGH A GLASS DARKLY? CONSIDER LIFE’S PERSPECTIVES… LIFE CAN DISTORT OUR VISION: THE BLIND MAN SAID: YES, I CAN SEE --- I SEE MEN AS TREES?
1 Corinthians 13:12 (KJV) For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
1 Corinthians 13:12 (NLT2) Now we see things imperfectly as in a cloudy mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.
1 Corinthians 13:12 (MSG) We don't yet see things clearly. We're squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won't be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We'll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us!
THE TEST? WE TRAIN OUR KIDNEYS AND BOWELS? WHY CAN’T WE CONTROL; OUR WORDS, ACTIONS, REACTION, HAVE TO---, NEED TO---, WANT TO---, LIKE TO---?
A baby lays in the crib and watches. The baby learns to CRY and get ANGRY to grab someone’s attention. After a while the baby’s crying and pitching a fit becomes less and less effective as the baby grows. Training adults might be difficult at best. Soon the baby’s effective cry fades. The baby learns how to crawl, when the cry doesn’t work, the BABY LEARNS I CAN CRAWL… THE BABY STARTS CRAWLING, everyone gives more attention. You have to move things around.
Wow, that works pretty well. Then the TODDLER sees WALKING is much better than crawling. Fall down? Get up? Fall down, falling down hurts? Soon the toddler walks more and more until he seldom falls. Watching other kids run and play… tag, hide and seek… THAT SURE BEATS CRAWLING, WALKING AND IT IS MUCH FASTER. Soon out comes the TRICYCLE that is better. Then the BICYCLE is so much better. EACH PHASE HAS A LEARNING CURVE. There are pains, scrapes and bruises… BUT WITH THE PAIN COMES PROGRESS. Before long that sleek Mustang goes speeding by… THIS DRIVING IS A BIG STEP TO FREEDOM and ADULTHOOD. I want to quit crying, crawling, walking, running… MY GOAL IS SIMPLE MAY I LEARN IN LIFE--- OTHERS CORRECTING ME MIGHT BE OK --- BUT SELF-DISCIPLINE AND SELF-CORRECTION ---- I WANT TO… NOT I HAVE TO…
I SO DESIRE TO LEAVE A LEGACY OF LOVE IN ACTION, NOT ANGER IN REACTION… MAY OUR SPIRITUAL EYES FOCUS ON ETERNAL VALUE SYSTEMS IN MY HEART, THE RULING CENTER OF MY SPIRIT PERSON.
LORD, OPEN THE EYES OF MY HEART! LORD HELP ME UNDERSTAND… HELP ME REALLY UNDERSTAND THE DILEMMA OF HAVE TO---, NEED TO---, LIKE TO---, WANT TO---. Submit to the everlasting arms of God?
Ephesians 1:18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
AM I HAPPY? WHO DO I BLAME FOR WHERE I AM IN MY ATTITUDES? DO I DESIRE TO BE HAPPIER?
Psalm 139:23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: 24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
DO I NEED TO STAY THE COURSE AND STAY THE SAME? IS THERE SOMETHING I NEED TO CHANGE? IF SO WHAT IS IT THAT I NEED TO CHANGE…? When?
There was a little man in the rest home. With the challenges he faced he was always under the care of others. We would say: HOW ARE YOU DOING, BO? His standard answer was “AWL, I AM HOLDING ON…” I have often thought about Bo’s observation of life? “AWL, I AM HOLDING ON…”
JOB 14: 14 If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.
Is my goal just to hang on? Have to? Need to? Like to? Want to? LIFE IS ABOUT YOUR MENIAL DAILY CHOICES?
WE HAVE TWO CHOICES? TEMPORARY VS ETERNAL?
We are creatures of either ACTION or REACTION? Ever consider the differences between BURY or PLANT? Perhaps to BURY is a reaction? PLANTING is an ACTION! Are we reacting to everything and thus life becomes “HAVE TO?”
Colossians 3:22 Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God: 23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;
LOVE? REAL LOVE GIVES. You can give and not love! But there is no way you can love and not give. REAL LOVE WANTS TO…
LET US START WITH A SIMPLE PREMISE: YOU WILL FIND TIME TO DO WHAT YOU LOVE TO DO AND WANT TO DO…
HAVE TO… sounds like a DUTY or OBLIGATION. Is HAVE TO and WANT on the same page of daily life? Can DO? I HAVE TO may not be very far from HATE TO…? Could have to be a NEGATIVE, PESSEMISTIC DAILY ATTITUDE? My opinion might think could be the difference between EASY, FUN and ENTERTAINING…. Vs WORK, EFFORT, and FORCED TO…
Has Christian life become burdensome to the church? To love God we should love His word and His rules. If we love God we should not hate our brothers or His commandments. THE TEST, THE DILEMMA IS DO I HAVE TO? OR DO I WANT TO?
1 John 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
John 13:34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
HAVE WE EVER EVALUATED OR CONSIDERED THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN “HAVE TO…” AND “WANT TO…”
LIFE HAS MANY STRESSES AND PRESSURES …THE ATTITUDE OF HAVE TO CAN BE VERY COSTLY… Have to?
Dishes, vacuum, laundry? ---- We need to do this by a certain time? What do I need? What do I want? What do I desire?
COULD WE BE SAYING: I HATE LIFE? I HATE SCHOOL? I HATE MY FAMILY? I HATE MY CHURCH?
I HAVE TO --- Could we honestly be saying: I REALLY DON’T WANT TO? If you honestly do not want to will you do what you have to with halfhearted effort?
TEST OF TENDER HEARTED. MOVED BY COMPASSION. AT TIMES WE FIND THE CHURCH AND INDIVIDUALS SEEM TO LACK LOVE, PASSION AND COMPASSION…
In college I had a fellow student that served in the army. He returned home on the G.I. BILL as a student. There was a dog that lived on campus, all the students loved the dog. This older student lived off campus and brought his lunch. He and I would sit near Abraham Lincoln’s statue and eat lunch together. He would often share one of his sandwiches with the dog. I admired his compassion. One day I missed my friend. I read in the newspaper he was arrested for almost beating his step son to death. The boy was in the hospital a long time. I thought: WOW, HE HAD COMPASSION ON A DOG, and BUT IN ANGER BEAT A LITTLE BOY?
MAYBE THAT IS WHY THE BIBLE SEEKS US TO BE SPIRITUALLY, PHYSICALLY AND EMOTIONALLY TO BE KIND AND HAVE TENDER MERCIES…
Ephesians 4:32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
Ephesians 4:32 (MSG) Be gentle with one another, sensitive. Forgive one another as quickly and thoroughly as God in Christ forgave you.
HAVE TO DILEMMA: COMPASSION FATIQUE:
LUKE 10 RECORDS A CHAPTER WITH SEVERAL PEOPLE THAT FAILED THE DILEMMA OF THE COMPASSION TEST. LIFE HAD BECOME “HAVE TO…”
1. THE MAN THAT WE CALL MR. HURT. He was left for dead after he was beaten and robbed.
2. THERE WAS A CERTAIN PRIEST: I call him MR. BURN OUT, (or maybe Burned up), his load as pastor was so heavy he could not handle another load. The Priest never even offered to help. HE DIDN’T WANT TO HELP.
3. THERE WAS A CERTAIN LEVITE WE CALL: MR. LONG NOSE. He stopped and went by and saw the HURT MAN. He may have made a request for MR. HURT when he got to church. But he never helped with the injury. HE DIDN’T WANT TO HELP.
4. THERE WAS A MAN WE SHALL CALL MR. COMPASSION, The Good Samaritan. Samaritans and Jews were not friends and compassionate to each other. WHO IS MY NEIGHBOR?
There are times the STING OF DAILY LIFE CAUSES A DILEMMA THAT HAVE TO… OUR DUTY, OUR OBLIGATION HAS BURNED OUT AND BURNED UP ALL COMPASSION. LIFE HAS BEEN REDUCED TO HAVE TO… As we no longer have the desire to want to…
MAYBE WE HAVE COME TO THIS POINT: DO I HAVE TO FORGIVE? WHY WOULD WE NOT WANT TO PRAY? FORGIVE?
Ephesians 4:32 (MSG) Be gentle with one another, sensitive. Forgive one another as quickly and thoroughly as God in Christ forgave you.
Remember have to? WANT TO? Remember the lesson: Lord, teach us to pray? Part of WANT TO PRAYER is the GIFT OF FORGIVENESS.
Matthew 6:12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
The Jewish tradition was FORGIVE 7 TIMES a day.
Matthew 18:21Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? 22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.
HAVE TO? BE PATIENT WITH ME? NEED TO? LIKE TO? WANT TO?
Matthew 18:26 The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
Matthew 18:29 And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. 30 And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.
CONCLUSION:
Luke 10:27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.
Isaiah 6:8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.
Ruth is not HAVE TO… Ruth does not hesitate to find hard work for her and her mother-in-law. Ruth by happenstance ends up in BOAZ’S FIELD… Ruth humbled herself--- she did not have to--- Ruth wanted to go. Ruth volunteered--- she learned to TRUST IN NAOMI’S GOD… Have to? Want to… I SHALL FIND GRACE…
Ruth 1:16 And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:
Ruth 2:2 And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi, Let me now go to the field, and glean ears of corn after him in whose sight I shall find grace. And she said unto her, Go, my daughter.
WHOM SHALL I SEND? WHO WILL GO FOR US? HERE I AM SEND ME.
Luke 10:2 Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com 9/19/20 (Two part?)
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