“Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” (Psalm 51:12)
By Steve Becker
The phrase “a willing spirit” grabbed me. Yes Lord, I want to say, “Yes and amen” at each and every moment. Help me.
The disciples stood beside Jesus as he was moved with compassion for the “harassed and helpless” crowd before him. He laments out loud, “The workers are few … Pray for the workers.” Clever. Think the disciples knew he was talking about them? “Pray for yourselves to be transformed into willing workers!” (Matthew 9:35-58) They’d find out in the next chapter.
It is my own unwillingness that gets in the way. My self-concern and laziness pushes aside the goodness of God stirring in me. When God is moving me to do something compassionate, he’s not the one dragging his feet.
I can be consumed by how hard others are to work with. Life is difficult. I can be upset about the wrongness of the world, but the truth of the matter is we’re all (including me) tangled up in its web. The web isn’t going away, and I need to step out into the field right in front of me.
I can think I have righteous indignation about things … but if I’m honest, my indignation is contaminated by my own unrighteousness. They say self-justification is one of fallen man’s favorite occupations. We’re so good at it, we don’t realize we’re even doing it. We can’t help ourselves. We need Jesus.
This is why Jesus tells us to pray for ourselves and each other. We are the bridge between our Lord and the field right in front of us.
Pray
Lord, make me more willing. Let me rejoice in working for you as you did for your Father. All my willingness comes from you. I want your willing heart.
Reflect
Who populates the field in front of you that is “harassed and helpless?” What holds you back from reaching out?
Discuss
How can we be more “willing workers” in these troubled times and break free from its tangled web.
Steve Becker is a member of our Editorial Team. He and his wife, Carolyn, live in Burnsville, MN.