Discouraged-Convicted-Encouraged-Frustrated-Motivated

These are the range or sequence of emotions that I have experienced the last 48 hours regarding writing this blog.  If you read this blog regularly, you probably noticed that it is not as regular or frequent as when I started.  Some of this may be due to the fact that I had a lot of “stuff” stored inside of me, waiting for an avenue to get out but some was due to some discouragement and frustration.  Since starting this blog, I have had about a half dozen individuals request to be removed from my e-mail list.  All but one have been faithful church attending Christians.  Most have either said that they did not have time to read it, their mail box was getting too full or gave no explanation.  Sunday morning in our Sunday school class, “life group", two individuals made a point of saying that they enjoyed the blogs.  I immediately felt convicted that I had neglected writing them as often as I did originally.  So I wrote Monday’s blog.  I promptly received a very supportive email from a female reader voicing agreement with the blog.  This was a little surprising since I thought the blog may have been difficult for some female readers. So, I was encouraged and felt that I had been rightly convicted for not doing more.  A couple hours later, I received another email, asking me to delete them from my list.  Frustrated again.  I went to bed feeling that way.  About 5:30 this morning I awoke, thinking about all this.  I realized that all the requests were from men.  Since the last blog was challenging “men”, I no longer felt frustrated.  I felt motivated!  When the boat starts rocking, people get nervous. 

I have never written these blogs to make people feel comfortable.  It has been, and is my intent to stimulate and challenge.  Challenge people to get off the fence!  Challenge people to get into the Word!  Don’t believe something because some one, once told you something!  Find it for your self! 

God does not like fence sitters.  How do I know this?  He tells us:

¹⁵“I know you inside and out, and find little to my liking. You’re not cold, you’re not hot—far better to be either cold or hot! ¹⁶You’re stale. You’re stagnant. You make me want to vomit. ¹⁷You brag, ‘I’m rich, I’ve got it made, I need nothing from anyone,’ oblivious that in fact you’re a pitiful, blind beggar, threadbare and homeless.

¹⁸“Here’s what I want you to do: Buy your gold from me, gold that’s been through the refiner’s fire. Then you’ll be rich. Buy your clothes from me, clothes designed in Heaven. You’ve gone around half-naked long enough. And buy medicine for your eyes from me so you can see, really see.

¹⁹“The people I love, I call to account—prod and correct and guide so that they’ll live at their best. Up on your feet, then! About face! Run after God!”  The Message, Rev. 3:15-19

I am no longer just convicted, I am MOTIVATED!