Share Life: 40 days of Prayer

Day 40, April 7th, 2007

Day 40—Haggai 1:1-15

Dr. Eric Berne wrote what has become one of the most popular psychology books ever. Entitled, “Games People Play”, it’s a catalog of the ways we relate to one another. It wouldn’t be hard to simply add ‘with God’ to the phrase ‘Games People Play’ and come up with a whole other book. One of the great games we play with God is called: “tomorrow.” It shows up in the book of Haggai because when the temple was being rebuilt, the project stopped after the completion of the foundation, due to some barriers and persecution. It stopped and then didn’t start again – for over a decade!

If you would have asked people, they would never have said that they were opposed to finishing the work. Instead they simply said, “the time hasn’t yet come”. In other words, people articulate their disobedience this way: “Yes, we’re all for the work that God is doing – in our hearts, or our family, or our community of faith. We’re behind His project 100%. Unfortunately, WE can’t participate right now, because we’re overwhelmed with our own personal issues.” Then we say this: ‘as soon as…’ and we finish the phrase with whatever it is that’s occupying us at the moment, and dismiss our devotion to the Lord’s purposes.

It’s not a game any of us play ALL the time, but I’m convinced it’s a game ALL of us play SOME of the time. Thus we need to prayerfully consider if there’s any area in our life where we’re delaying obedience to God’s call – because such delays only have the effect of making the obedience more difficult later. When Jesus’ great hour of trial was upon him, he prayed, wrestled with God, and then walked in obedience the path of the cross. We each have our own paths of the cross that come to us at seasons, asking of us a step of obedience and faith that will challenge us. When that call comes, I hope we don’t respond with something like this: “Yes God, I’m all for it – I’ll begin as soon as I get my life together, perhaps even as early as tomorrow!” It sounds good, and devoted. But Haggai is telling us it’s a game.

God of today, deliver us, we pray, from our tendency to play games, either with each other or with you. Enable us to have the honesty to either follow you or not – and to be honest with you and ourselves about our choices. Thank you that Christ, when His hour was upon Him, wrestled, cried out, sweat drops of blood, and in the end, obeyed. Give us that same kind of courage, and honesty; not tomorrow, but today. We pray in your great name, Amen.

posted by Richard Dahlstrom @ 3:54 PM