Prone to Wander

When we're born again, the Holy Spirit comes into us and changes us. We become a new creature. Yet the old nature is still there. Even after salvation our default often is to drift toward what readily and easily feeds our minds and our appetites; the daily news, Facebook posts, talk shows, magazines, sports, food, etc. And in doing so we are at risk of filling ourselves with worthless fluff and possibly lies and confusion. Eventually, we are in danger of drifting away from God and His truth.

"Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it! Prone to leave the God I love!"**

I don't believe the Holy Spirit will allow us to go very far down that path unless it’s something we rebelliously pursue. But we are surrounded by many tempting voices. Voices that are opposed to God. We can't think God's thoughts without filling our minds with His words. And His words come from His Word; the Bible.

"The bane of our lives is getting sidetracked into secondary pursuits." *

There's no guarantee that we will fully blossom into the person that God created us to be. Yes, the Holy Spirit is at work in us to transform our minds. God's word says He is at work in us "to will and to act according to his good purposes." (Philippians 2:13) 

But we also have a will. A powerful will. And that sneaky will of ours so often gets in the way. Every. Single. Day.

Every day we are faced with a myriad of choices. Most of the choices I make every day are harmless. But every choice I make to do something also is a choice to not do something else. There is only so much time in every day. I often make lazy choices: take a nap instead of a walk. Watch TV instead of read a book. Read a novel instead of read a great book that will cause spiritual growth. Read a short devotional instead of God’s Word.

Aaaaccckkk! I’m in danger of serious legalism and life-crippling guilt if I keep going down this path! There’s nothing wrong with naps, TV watching, reading a novel, using devotionals. I do all of those on a fairly regular basis. But I’ve recently caught myself defaulting onto the lazy, fun path and off the better, life-changing path.

My mornings used to be spent reading God’s Word, listening to good Biblical speakers or digging deep into good books, such as Ravi Zacharias’ book, The Grand Weaver, or The Air I Breath by Louie Giglio, or The Knowledge of the Holy by A. W. Tozer. I would save my novel reading for lunchtime or bedtime.

But then I got caught up in Terri Blackstock’s fabulous mysteries. I started giving up my normal morning routine so I could go grab breakfast at the Panera drive-through and lose myself in the latest book while I munched on a bacon-egg and cheese on ciabatta. Oh my! So good!

But…several pounds later I realized how desperate I was to go back to my deeply nutritious spiritual food.

 "When God brings us to salvation, the most remarkable thing we see is that he transforms our hungers. He changes not just what we do but what we want to do. This is the work of the Holy Spirit within us." *

"In our new walk, we make choices that help shape the design into something beautiful. These are the 'wills' and the 'won'ts'." *

"The relentlessness of the enemy of our souls demands that we remain ever watchful, and that's the hard part. We want results without effort."*

I don't know about you, but I know I continually need to get back on track. Something that helps me tremendously is good scriptural prayer. One of my favorites is from Psalm 86:11,12; "Teach me your way O Lord and I will walk in your truth. Give me an undivided heart that I may fear your name. I will praise you with all of my heart and I will glorify your name forever." 

I believe that the Holy Spirit caused me to pay attention to these verses several years ago and to pray this prayer almost every morning and often throughout the day. What an amazing prayer! Pick it apart and think about it!

I agree with Ravi, that we need to be ever watchful because our enemy is indeed relentless. But that doesn’t mean we are to be full of fear or anxiety. Not at all! We are invited to live a life that is the opposite of fear and anxiety. We belong to the One that created us! He knows everything about us; our frailties our weaknesses, our tendencies to wobble off the path.

And HE IS ALWAYS THERE! He will pick us up every time, brush us off and set us back on course.

This doesn’t mean we are free to live a la-dee-la life. He has given us choices. He wants us to ask for guidance. He wants us to choose to fill our minds with the richness of His Truth. He wants us to be quick to ask for forgiveness when He gently convicts us. It’s a loving journey with Him ALWAYS BY OUR SIDE!

WHAT AN ADVENTURE!!!

*from The Grand Weaver, by Ravi Zacharias

**Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing" is a Christian hymn written in 1758 by pastor and hymnodist Robert Robinson at the age of 22.

See more of this beautiful hymn below:

Jesus sought me when a stranger,
  Wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,
  Interposed His precious blood;
How His kindness yet pursues me
  Mortal tongue can never tell,
Clothed in flesh, till death shall loose me
  I cannot proclaim it well.

O to grace how great a debtor
  Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
  Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
  Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
  Seal it for Thy courts above.