When Striving is Good…
January 30th, 2008 | Michael Q. Pink
As long as we love God, we will always desire both good and evil. But again, desire comes from two words… “de” which means “of the” and “sire” which means “to father.” Every desire has a father, a point of origin, a source. What is the source of your desires? Well, some of our desires are fathered by the flesh and others are born of the Spirit. Welcome to the Christian life on planet Earth! We have conflicting desires and will until the day we die. That’s our reality. The threshing floor is the throne of grace, the place of His presence.
Sometimes it’s hard for us to know which desire is in accordance with God’s will for our lives. I believe that when we spend time in the presence of God, something happens. The fleshly desires, even those with religious appearances, begin to lose their luster. God’s best for us begins to shine and the desire to walk in that moves us to lay aside personal preference and lay hold of that which we were apprehended for. (Phil 3:12)
Listen… our flesh will fight us every step of the way. If it looks like we are gaining victory over our flesh, the devil will join the fight with temptation and reasoning and distraction. Contrary to what some of my esteemed brothers may say, I remain absolutely convinced that there is a striving, a vigorous struggle to enter into rest — to enter the calming, powerful presence of God. The writer of Hebrews tells us to “labor” to enter the rest. It is labor. It is at times quite difficult to put off the distraction, the flesh, the dullness that encases our minds and the unseen forces that liven our senses to everything but God, but we must.
The most difficult work I do and the most important, is to labor to enter His presence. But labor and strive I must, not with others, but with my flesh and with the unseen forces of darkness who know what I will find there and who war against me to keep me out. This battle I must not lose — and neither should you. Let’s labor daily to enter His rest and then do as you please. It will be right. And if not… (to be continued)
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January 30th, 2008 at 9:19 am
Good word Michael, If it were ok not to strive, Jesus would not have been so critical in Revelations in his word to the church in Laodicea.
“I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!” Rev 3:15-16
If we aren’t passionate about something or someone, we are lukewarm. If we aren’t as passionate about God as we are our work, family, goals… we are striving for the wrong thing. It’s not that it’s bad to be passionate about other things, our passions just needs to be God centered. I love my family because God loved me first and shows me daily how to love them. I love my work because God gave me a desire to help others through my work…..
January 30th, 2008 at 10:11 am
Beautifully said!
January 30th, 2008 at 10:18 am
You’re a real blessing to me, Michael. God’s put you though it, and you’ve held on tight. And it shows; it comes out in what you share a thousand little ways you can’t see, but we can. And that’s a sign of legitimate ministry, where the Word has been made flesh in a life.
I’ve often thought of the labor mentioned in Hebrews 4:11 as trying to stand in a heavy surf. Paul told us “… having done everything, to stand…” after he’s just listed a litany of forces and pressures coming at us. God has given us the firm, hard-won ground to stand on. But it takes courage, diligence, tenacity and vision to stay put when it’s all hitting the fan. But once through it, we find God begins to entrust His things to us. And we find ourselves walking in works “prepared beforehand that we should walk in them,” things “finished from the foundations of the world” - God’s Sabbath Rest. What could be better than God’s will being done on earth as it’s already been done in Heaven?
January 30th, 2008 at 11:04 am
Hello Michael and thank you for your very rich and profound words. May God continue to bless you in all of endeavors. We love and appreciate you.
January 30th, 2008 at 11:08 am
Thank you Michael, for showing the battles from within we ALL face! You are indeed a blessing.
January 30th, 2008 at 11:19 am
Thanks Michael for staying true to the Word and not endless debates about words.
Bless you man!
Dennis
January 30th, 2008 at 11:48 am
Thanks. I enjoy your messages, love the Word of God, and pass them around to my friends.
January 30th, 2008 at 12:52 pm
I so enjoy your e-mails. You share your struggles as a Christian and give hope out of those struggles. So refreshing!
January 30th, 2008 at 2:35 pm
You know God just spoke to our church prophetically this past Sunday about resting IN HIM,because In HIM we live,move and have our being our very life existence. So this was confirmation and we also went to Hebrews.
January 30th, 2008 at 3:43 pm
Michael,
You are RIGHT ON! The Apostle Paul mentions this in Romans 7, as he speaks of the striving within his life. Jesus acknowledged this in the Parable of the Vine, as He says, “He that abideth in Me and I in him will bear much fruit, but without me you can do nothing!” Again, the writer to the Hebrews tells us in the 13th chapter to “lay aside the sin that so easily besets us” and look to Jesus. He is the author and finisher of our faith. Only as we abide in Him (spend time with Him) can we clearly hear the guidance He provides consistently through the Holy Spirit. This life creates such a cacophany of sound, it drowns out the “still, small voice” of the Holy Spirit. Keep up the good word, Michael!
January 30th, 2008 at 7:36 pm
Hey All…
I just want everyone of you to know how much it helps me to get your words of love and support. It makes it all worthwhile. Blessings, Michael
January 30th, 2008 at 10:02 pm
This is very helpful for my current situation. I am just struggling with the flesh and some darkness in my work. Well, I am waiting for the continuous part.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:26 am
YOUR POSTINGS HAS ALWAYS BEEN A BLESSING TO ME. BUT I THINK THE PAST FEW. LOVE GOD AND DO AS YOU PLEASE & WHEN STRIVING IS GOOD, IS ABSOLUTELY AWESOME. IT IS KINGDOM LIFESTYLE AT ITS BEST. IT IS NOT A TEACHING IT IS A “LOVESTYLE” (LYFESTYLE) NORMAL EVERY DAY BELEIVERS CAN RELATE TO THIS AND ACTUALLY LIVE THIS TO THE FULL. YOU COACHINGS WILL PRODUCE PEOPLE THAT IS STREET WISE & RELEVENT
I LOVE IT
HENK
January 31st, 2008 at 5:51 pm
TRUTH!!! Your emails are such a blessing. Love, peace and joy, but the greatest is love. We are to love one another and by this THEY will know us. There is nothing more attractive than pure love. We can’t love unless we have his presence. Our only job is to get up every morning and seek the presence of God. Then, as we live our lives, we will take His presence out to the world. As we go out we will go in peace and joy because his presence is in us. And the joy of the Lord is our strength (the joy of knowing he goes with us wherever we go).
Agape, Karen
January 31st, 2008 at 7:30 pm
Thank you so much for this very important message about moving against the will of our flesh and seeking after His presence. You have just capsulized the one thing that has come to be the pearl of great price to me - the sweet presence of God. God bless you! Keep up the pursuit and keep teaching others to do the same!
I’m new to your posts but find them relevant and refreshing to my spirit - true soul food. I’m so blessed and encouraged to know that successful businessmen like you are out there using your success as means to encourage and minister to others. Just know that you are a great blessing to me.
Sincerely
Steve
February 1st, 2008 at 3:25 am
Right on Michael,it helps me to know there are other believers out there that stuggle with the laboring of entering into walking in our Fathers presence,the battle ground of our mind sometimes plays havoc with our spirit,but it is the true hearts of his children where his love will flow out of to progress his kingdom through love,edification,and the lifting up of one another as we are one body……be blessed! Frank Russo
February 1st, 2008 at 10:53 pm
can’t wait to read the follow up after “do as you please”, talk about a tease! Great post. then the cliffhanger.When we are walking in His presence we do what pleases Him and after awhile it is also what pleases us, just as the appetite changes from one diet to another. Good input, good output. So why do people not enter in. Because its too hard? or because they don’t believe the promise. We labor either way. Either in the flesh producing things with temporary value or in the Spirit producing eternal rewards for ourselves, the kingdom is furthered and others are provided paths to walk in cause we labored to remove some strongholds on their behalf. It’s a choice, every moment of everyday. thanks Mike for thought provoking blogging and speaking the Truth in Love….Keith
February 20th, 2008 at 3:30 pm
Thank you Mike. The sabbath rest is where we need to be always. It is born out of trust, trusting our higher power, Heavenly Father for everything and keeping a close connection hour by hour. This is a lifestyle opposite to the worlds ways because its born in the kingdom, He says my yoke is easy and my burden is light. We need to enter and remain in this rest, for acquiring it we experience the peace which passes all understanding. There is no fear in this place because perfect love casts out all fear. May we all strive to enter and remain in this rest
Helen
February 20th, 2008 at 3:46 pm
Thank you Helen! You have no idea how timely your words are.
February 20th, 2008 at 4:39 pm
Lorisa
I am pleased that I was of some encouragement to you
Helen