Strengthening A Willing Spirit

Strengthens a willing spirit is through weakening the body

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever 

1 John 2:15-17.

How do we strengthens our spirit?

Often us christians cannot rise up to answer the Lord’s call to service simply because, though our physical condition is good, our feelings are low, cold, and reluctant. Or even when our emotions are quite high, passionate, and willing, we find ourselves unable to serve the Lord because now the body reacts lazily. The disciples found themselves in precisely that situation in the Garden of Gethsemane: “the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” -Matt. 26. 41. 

Willingness by itself is not sufficient; the spirit also must be strong. If it is sturdy it can overcome the infirmity (frailty, disability, lacking power) of the flesh (sin of the body and self of the soul). 

How do we strengthens our spirit?

In order for us to be strengthened with power through the Holy Spirit, we must discharge (let go of ) our responsibility. We need to yield specifically to the Lord, forsake every doubtful aspect in our life, be willing to obey fully God’s will, and believe through prayer that He will flood our spirit with His power. Without delay God does answers the expectation of our hearts, once all obstacles on our part are removed. We christians do not need to wait for the Holy Spirit’s filling, because He has descended already. What we need only wait for is for ourselves (body and Mind) to fulfill the condition for His filling, which is, we must let the cross perform a deeper incision upon our body. 

So we can Strengthen our spirit by yielding ONLY to God? 

Yes! When we yield only to Christ we can begin to understand him. By Understanding him we gain fuel that strengthens our spirit to fulfill Gods will.

See, when we understand ourselves, we begin to understand weakness and faults. When we understand other people, we begin to learn how to work together. When we understand the world around us, we begin to understand creation. But when we understand Jesus, we begin to understand God. That is what Jesus was trying to help the disciples do.

 Jesus called twelve disciples to set aside their lives and livelihoods to follow him. When he taught with parables, many people were confused. Jesus would take these twelve disciples aside and explain it to them. When he ministered with miracles, many people came to be healed and blessed. The Gospels tell us that Jesus empowered his disciples out to perform miracles. When Jesus entered Jerusalem, many people greeted him and shouted Hosanna. Jesus took these twelve aside to break bread at the Last Supper. 

When the dinner was over, Jesus went with these twelve to the Garden of Gethsemane. That evening he had cleansed the disciples' feet. He offered symbols of his body and his blood, and he knew that he was facing an ordeal of excruciating pain and humiliation. These twelve who had left everything behind to follow him still remained. They were a source of comfort and companionship. I am confident that Christ was genuinely glad to have them there. He made a simple request. Stay here with me in the garden and pray. So they stayed. And they slept. Jesus checked on them and found them asleep. I can hear him now. "Hey guys, wake up! Stay with me and pray." Then come those cryptic lines, but so important. "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak." Twice more they stayed. And twice more they slept. 

I can hear the heartache in Jesus' words. I can also hear the patience, the compassion, and the love. After the disciples had let him down three times on this terrible night, Jesus said, "Rise! Let us go!" He still wanted to be with them. He still wanted them to be with him. They still had willing spirits, and Jesus knew it.

Jesus knows how willing our spirits are today, and he still encourages the willing spirit. 

Are you willing to go to Gethsemane with Christ? 

Are you able to stay awake and pray with him? 

Will you follow him through trials and persecution? 

Will you follow him? 

Will I follow him?

Jesus is completely aware of our weak spirit and that is why the bible forewarned us to refrain from wasting time in understanding the world (for the world cannot strengthens the spirit)  but rather seek him, seek his understanding and become his friend, for if we do so the least we fall into temptations of the world, the least we’re feeding the body and more we strengthens the spirit.

After all, It is impossible to love the world and also Love God...(No one can serve two masters)  just like we cant be married to two people. Doing so our love is falsified and is not acceptable in the eyes of God, for we are committing adultery. Therefore, whoever wants to be a friend of the world is the enemy of God (and has committed adultery with the world). Lust of the eye, lust of the flesh, and pride of life are the enemies of God. Do not love the world or the things that are by the world. If any man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For everything by the world, (the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eye, and the pride of possessions), is not by the Father, but exists by the world 1 John 2:15-16. 

How to prevent yourself from loving the world?

We do so by getting rid of anything and everything that we love that is not of God, anything  that we cant seem to stop thinking of that is not of God, anything that consumes us that is not of God is an Idol and therefore must go. 

• If you love food, and cant seem to be satisfied without eating meat, then do a meat fasting monthly, weakly then daily!
• If its material things such as jewelry or clothing, fast on those items as well. Stop wearing jewelry or wear only a certain color of clothing.

Whatever it is that consumes you let it go! If you ask me, It’s not so much of what we let consumes us but rather our lack of self control and discipline as Christians. We are already from a line of weak spirited decedents who have been rooted in a corrupted world who’s foundational values is perpendicular to the word of God. 

We must Understand, the love of the world is primarily an attitude of one’s heart, and we CAN cast away worldliness by cultivating a new affection. To avoid spiritual adultery, “set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth” -Colossians 3:2. Once we take the stand to discipline ourselves and our only meaningful possession becomes our friendship with Christ, only then can our spirit  be sharp as a two sided sword! 

How to know your spirit is sharpening ?

Well, Prayer!  Prayer is the acid test of our inner strength. A strong spirit is capable of praying much and praying with all perseverance until the answer comes. A weak one grows weary and fainthearted in the maintenance of praying. A vigorous spirit can move forward in the midst of adverse environment or feeling, but a frail one is impotent to stand against opposition. Great is the need of power in the spirit for spiritual warfare with our own self.  Otherwise the battle will be make-believe, fought in the imagination of the mind or the excitement of the emotion, and perhaps fought with the weapons of flesh and blood.

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Dear Lord, I praise you for your infinite patience and wisdom. I thank you for calling me to follow you. I know that I am prone to weaknesses and faults. I also know that you encourage the willing heart. Give me a willing heart, Lord, and encourage me. Holy Spirit live in me, and make my willing spirit strong and sharp so that I may serve you well. Amen.

XO- Bianca