Primal Reflections
What a great series we completed recently – Primal. Thanks to Mark Batterson for the free copy of his book, and for the great heart for sharing God’s wisdom, creativity and truth with other leaders and pastors. On the heels of the series, there was a question that was emailed to me I thought might stir your thoughts, and I’ll give you mine….
Q: If doing God’s purposes are both the source and the output of ‘primal energy’ (loving God with all of our strength Mark 12:30) then why don’t I have physical energy in the midst of a task (environmental factors aside)? Can it be that the task(s) I am doing aren’t God’s will/purpose for me at this time? (my thoughts to come after some of you have posted yours)
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6 Responses to “Primal Reflections”
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Pastor,
I LOVE the video that you have posted on your blog! One question, though: what the heck IS it?! An advertisement? An indie music video? A students’ school project? Please explain…
the best analogy i have at the moment is to equate it to exercise/walking etc..
you are exhausted but when you get off your butt and take the walk/work/out etc.. you are energized…so while you have no energy… best thing to do is exert energy and you will be filled with MORE energy .. your cells will come alive with oxygen.. your metabolism will get a boost.. you clear you head and just feel better.. and this is true because you are taking care of His vessel… so you reap the reward w/ the benefit of energy/stress relief and a calmer mind..
i think the same is true with God’s word.. you are spent/exhausted/drained but if you invest in doing His work or listening to Him you find yourself BOOSTED w/ a surge of power and energy… it surely is mind blowing but works… look around ..those w/ the most energy are the ones that exert themselves the most!! the old saying .. “want something done?? ask a busy person” is an example of this.. we need to be particular in choosing where and how we exert that energy so we get the positive charge and not drained by tapping into an energy vacuum…
those are my thoughts
Regarding physical energy or lack there of in determining God’s will, is a tough one. The scriptures that comes to mind are; 1.) The Joy of the Lord is our strength (Neh 8:10) and 2.) Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. (Gal 6:9). I believe because something may be hard (or easy) does nor determine that it is God’s will but rather the peace and resolve one senses in their spirit better determines that. I also believe we do get weary or worn out when we stop doing whatever we are doing for the Lord or in by counting entirely on our own strength… Please read Isaiah 40:31
I think when you are doing work in the name of the Lord, He will give you the strength and energy necessary to complete the task. Renewable energy comes when you are doing God’s work in line with your spiritual gifts and motivations.
I think we can draw on God’s strength for a task or to accomplish a goal and having the right attitude can make a big difference. Imagine two kid’s ministry workers. One comes in thinking, “Oh great. It’s my week again with these crazy kids, they never listen to me.” And the other thinks, “Wow, another opportunity for me to minister to these kids and shape them for a lifetime of following God.” Same task, but one will be worn out and the other will be energized through their service.
There is also the issue of being fulfilled in the work we do, which I think is seperate. In doing work that God has designed us to do, we find fulfillment which goes beyond just having the energy to do the task. God will give us the energy to do His work, no matter the task, but that energy is magnified when we do what He’s designed us to do.
I agree totally with Ramona’s comments. She took a lot of what I would have said. However, to add to this, I think that sometimes Satan can get in the way and we may expound some of our energy from God fighting Satan. The loss of energy may seem overwhelming, but if it is from God, he will renew it with some time.