We Should Enjoy Doing God’s Will  

Our family gathered last weekend to celebrate the first birthday of our youngest grandchild. At one point I followed the toddler as he wandered away from the crowd into another room. He went over to a small sofa to try to climb up onto it. With a little assistance from me, he was successful. He started squealing in delight as he stood up and took a step or two on those soft, bouncy cushions, under my close supervision. A couple of minutes later when his dad came into the room, I discovered why my grandson was enjoying this so much. His dad said they had been trying to teach him not to stand on the sofa. So unknowingly I was letting him get away with something he knew he wasn’t supposed to be doing. And he was reveling in the opportunity.

 It's interesting how that tendency of our fallen natures can manifest itself in the youngest among us. It’s just another piece of evidence in support of the biblical teaching that due to Adam’s sin we come into this world with such a moral defect. And this is one of the ways that tarnished temperament comes out. People tend to take particular delight in doing something they know they shouldn’t be doing. They revel in the thought that they’re getting away with something. When they think no one is around to hold them accountable, they enjoy exploring what has been forbidden. It’s reminiscent of the old saying, “When the cat’s away, the mice will play.” I guess my grandson thought, “While mom & dad’s away, & old Papaw doesn’t know any better, I’m going to play.”

That which has been deemed “off limits” to us has always held a certain attraction, even in the Garden of Eden. However, we tend to take it further. We seem to take pleasure in breaking free of those boundaries, whether they’re put in place by man or by God. Sometimes we view the “thou shalt nots” of God as spoiling our fun or trying to hold us back, when in reality our loving Father is watching out for what’s best for us. If my grandson were to stand or walk on a sofa when no one else is around, he could end up falling and getting hurt.

While we may have a moral bent in that direction, I believe the power of Christ that is at work in believers can help us go a different direction. Instead of finding such pleasure in straying from God’s commands, the Lord can so transform our hearts that we can begin to find our greatest joy in doing what we know He wants us to do. We can become like the psalmist who declared, “I delight to do Your will, O my God, and Your law is within my heart” (Psalm 40:8). Instead of seeing God’s instructions as holding us back, we can recognize them as means for our being blessed. Instead of feeling those commands are burdensome, we can recognize how they free us to live a better life.

Does it seem strange to you to think of reading the Bible for pleasure, finding prayer times to be uplifting, or taking delight in doing what you know is right and pleasing to God? Does serving God seem like a dreaded chore or an anticipated privilege? Our greatest moments of joy in life should come as we are doing God’s will.

If such a notion seems foreign to us, then we need to seek a change of heart. Instead of reveling in what we can get away with, let’s pray for the Lord to instill in us a delight in doing what will put a smile of approval on our Father’s face.