So, you know what you are supposed to do. You know what is expected of you. You know what you want and need to do, but how do you get motivated to do it? In Romans chapter twelve, amongst a list of Christian attributes, there is this phrase, “not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord” (12:11). If we were to be honest we could say that we spend more time feeling like we are “lagging behind” rather than “fervent in spirit” in our service to the Lord. How do we change that? Here are some thoughts to consider.
We need to stop waiting until we feel like doing something. “I’ll get to it when I feel like it” is not a life mantra. We will typically never “feel” like doing anything that is for our betterment and the good of others without some other motivation. Something other than “feeling it.” “Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul” (1 Pet. 2:11). The very earthly vessel we live in naturally only does those things that please it. Most often, change only happens when the fear of staying the same overcomes the fear of change. The soul and conscience have to be trained to be more than someone that responds to fleshly whims and fear.
Fervent people plan to be so. “But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil” (Heb. 5:14). Through practice and training we can be fervent people. We do those things that would propel us toward a fervent spirit, even when we don’t feel like it. Part of this is building healthy habits. Schedules and routines for yourself and for the family that include time for spiritual formation. One example would be syncing your calendar with the church calendar and attending everything you can. Even when you don’t feel like it. I know that spirituality and a relationship with Christ are much more than just attendance, but it is a start. If we want to be fervent in service we should be where service is happening.
When we start making changes toward a fervent lifestyle, how do we maintain it? Be realistic with yourself. With a renewed fervor there is the need of setting goals for our continued spiritual growth. As humans, we love a challenge; however, if something is easy or very difficult we lose interest. Make sure your goals for personal growth are challenging but not too challenging. Think of what Goldilocks would do.
We all want to work towards a healthy relationship with Christ. We need to make sure we are being intentional about it and not waiting until we are “feeling it.”