There are mornings when I look at my watch and I don't want to get up.
There are evenings when I know I need to go to bed, but I want to finish one more thing.
There are foods I may want even though I've decided they aren't good for me.
There are things I would rather purchase than save for later.
And sometimes...
there are things God asks of us that we simply do not want to do.
That's real life.
Knowing that something is good doesn't automatically make us want it.
So what do we do when we know God's way—but our feelings are pulling us somewhere else?
Perhaps the goal isn't to pretend the struggle doesn't exist.
Perhaps we need to learn how to practice obedience until our desires begin to change.
Start by saying it out loud
Instead of creating a spiritual explanation for why you shouldn't have to do something, try being completely honest with God:
“Lord, I know what You are asking me to do. I just don't want to do it.”
That's a very different prayer.
There's no pretending.
No bargaining.
No theological gymnastics.
Just honesty.
And then:
“Help me want what You want for me.”
Sometimes the first step toward obedience isn't changing our behavior.
It's admitting that our desires need changing.
Give yourself a “because” statement
When something feels restrictive, attach a purpose to it.
Instead of:
“I can't stay up.”
Try:
“I'm going to bed because tomorrow's body deserves tonight's rest.”
Instead of:
“I can't eat that.”
Try:
“I'm choosing food that supports the body God gave me.”
Instead of:
“I can't spend that money.”
Try:
“I'm protecting tomorrow's needs.”
Instead of:
“I have to forgive.”
Try:
“I'm refusing to allow what happened yesterday to control my peace today.”
Same decision.
Completely different perspective.
You're no longer concentrating on what you're denied.
You're concentrating on what you're choosing.
Delay the decision
Here's another practical strategy.
When your feelings are screaming now, don't always answer them immediately.
Wait ten minutes.
Walk away.
Pray.
Drink some water.
Go outside.
Read the Scripture that applies to the situation.
Then make the decision.
We often think temptation must be defeated through some enormous act of spiritual strength.
Sometimes we simply need to create enough space between the impulse and the decision for wisdom to speak.
Make obedience easier before you need it
This may be one of the most practical lessons I've learned.
Don't wait until you're exhausted to decide what time you're going to bed.
Don't wait until you're starving to decide what you're going to eat.
Don't wait until you're standing in the store to decide whether you're saving money.
Don't wait until Sabbath morning to decide how you're going to spend the day.
Make some decisions before your feelings get a vote.
Preparation removes many battles we otherwise have to fight.
Pay attention to how you feel afterward
This one matters.
We spend a lot of time remembering the pleasure before a poor decision and very little time remembering how we felt afterward.
Reverse that.
After you make a choice you know was good for you, notice the result.
You went to bed on time.
How did you feel the next morning?
You chose the healthier meal.
How did your body feel afterward?
You walked away instead of arguing.
How did you feel later?
You kept the money you planned to save.
How did it feel when an unexpected expense came?
Remember the fruit.
Your brain needs evidence that discipline isn't merely deprivation.
Stop expecting obedience to always feel good
This may be the most freeing lesson of all.
You can make the right choice...
and still wish you could make the other one.
That doesn't mean you failed.
Sometimes maturity sounds like:
“I still want it. I'm simply choosing differently.”
Feelings don't have to disappear before we make wise decisions.
Over time, however, something interesting can happen.
The thing that once felt difficult becomes normal.
Then normal becomes preferred.
And eventually you look back and wonder why you fought it so hard.
Celebrate the small victories
Maybe today you didn't overhaul your life.
Maybe you simply went to bed when you said you would.
Maybe you drank the water.
Maybe you closed the shopping app.
Maybe you apologized first.
Maybe you turned off the television and opened your Bible.
Maybe you stopped working when Sabbath arrived.
Don't dismiss that.
Every small act of obedience is practice.
You're practicing saying:
My feelings are real, but they are not my master.
You're practicing self-government.
You're practicing trust.
And tomorrow...
you practice again.
Don't Wait Until You Feel Like It
Perhaps that's the practical lesson.
We often imagine that one day we'll become disciplined enough that doing the right thing will always feel natural.
Maybe.
But until then, we don't have to wait.
We can pray when we don't feel like praying.
Rest when we want to keep working.
Forgive while we're still hurting.
Choose nourishing food while remembering exactly what the other food tastes like.
Put something back on the shelf when we could technically afford it.
And obey God while still asking Him to change our hearts.
Because sometimes the feeling follows the choice.
And little by little...
“I have to”
can become...
“I'm choosing to.”
And eventually...
perhaps even...
“I want to.”
0 comments