The Spirit is Willing, But the Flesh is Weak

 

The Spirit is Willing, But the Flesh is Weak

Is your spirit healthy?

1 Timothy 4:7-10 The Message

Stay clear of silly stories that get dressed up as religion.

Exercise daily in God — no spiritual flabbiness, please!

Workouts in the gymnasium are useful,

but a disciplined life in God is far more so,

making you fit both today and forever.

You can count on this.

Take it to heart.

 

 

 Jesus and the disciples had just finished

the communion service and sang a hymn.

It’s time to go,

church is over

but Jesus wanted to stop

and pray for an hour.

We, like the disciples have a spiritual routine,

church on Sunday,

 devotional and prayer time in the morning,

and a blessing before each meal.

When Jesus calls us to an hour of unscheduled prayer,

we are many times too tired.

This is what happened in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Jesus said to His sleeping disciples,

“the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

And this is all too often true with us.

But I have learned that when the flesh is weak

the spirit is willing.

As Sandy and I received the devastating news

from the doctor that she had a brain tumor,

our flesh melted with tears and sorrow.

But throughout the weeks afterwards,

 our spirit cried out for

the presence of the Lord.

Sandy will tell you that she was

 always faithful to go to church

and have her daily devotional time

and thought that was good.

But when the crisis came

it was not enough!

Her spirit was crying out for more.

Her love and passion for prayer

and God’s Word has eclipsed

life since the doctor’s report.

The strength, joy and peace I

see in her makes me jealous

as I find her sneaking away to

pray every chance she gets.

The real question is this:

“Do we need a crisis to take us

 deeper in our walk with God?”

Remember the spirit is willing.

Although we do not have any

physical signs of healing yet, there

are many signs of a healthy spirit.

Scripture Reading

Matthew 26:30-41 NIV

30 When they had sung a hymn,

they went out to the Mount of Olives.

31 Then Jesus told them,

"This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written:

"'I will strike the shepherd,

and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.'  

32 But after I have risen,

I will go ahead of you into Galilee." 

33 Peter replied,

"Even if all fall away on account of you,

I never will."

34 "I tell you the truth," Jesus answered,

"this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times." 

35 But Peter declared,

"Even if I have to die with you,

I will never disown you."

And all the other disciples said the same.

36 Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane,

and he said to them, "Sit here while I go over there and pray." 

37 He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him,

and he began to be sorrowful and troubled.

38 Then he said to them,

"My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.

Stay here and keep watch with me." 

39 Going a little farther,

he fell with his face to the ground and prayed,

"My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me.

Yet not as I will, but as you will." 

40 Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping.

"Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?" he asked Peter.

41 "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.

The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."