Is the Spirit Willing?

Yesterday, after taking my laptop to the library to send out the worship service on a faster internet connection, I forgot to bring it into the house. I was going to the office to work on a pondering for the evening. Suddenly it dawned on me that I forgotten to bring it in. The car was outside and it had been dark for some time. I didn’t really want to walk out to the car and we have had a skunk that has been a little busy in the yard after dark. I wasn’t excited about bumping into him or disturbing a bear. I chose to wait on my pondering. Started off running this morning and so I am getting around to it now. The thought that came to mind was from Matthew 26 where Jesus said that the spirit was willing but the flesh was weak. I must admit that I wanted write about something, but my flesh was more concerned about aches, pains, and skunks. For that I am sorry, because if I didn’t go running out, of which I don’t think I am capable, there would likely be no issues. Also, my thought of this verse almost cheapens the phrase. The context is that Jesus is in the garden praying that if it is possible that He didn’t have to go to the cross, that would be His preference, but He followed it up with, “Not My will but Yours be done.” Then Jesus found the disciples sleeping and knowing the trials they would face upon His arrest, torture, and death, He pleaded with them to stay awake and pray saying, “...the spirit was willing but the flesh was weak.” I wasn’t facing that sort of trial, so why would that come to mind? That phrase isn’t just for the great trials in life. Sometimes the most dangerous obstacles aren’t the obvious attacks, but the slow spiritual disarming of God’s people through complacency. It often starts in the small betrayal and slowly causes us to fall away (backsliding). We often don’t see the danger until it is too late just as the disciples had no clue what was about to happen. We can and should try to avoid those things that cause us to stumble, but even more importantly is the need to follow Jesus’ advice to pray. It doesn’t matter how much we say we want to do God’s will, if we fail to humble ourselves before Him and seek Him in prayer, we will likely stumble more than we should and may never get back up. Father, help us to take Your words to heart, knowing that our flesh is indeed week. Put a new and right spirit within us. Amen