Matthew 26:40 And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?

Yesterday I gave you an exercise in will. You were to take a gallon of water and hold it out from your body and hold the thought God is good at the same time. Which did you drop first? It was not a fair test but rather example of how easily we are influenced. The fact that you considered the question took your mind off God is good.

That is not a fair judge of our love and commitment to our Lord. Neither was the opening verse. We are frail human beings. The purpose for the inclusion of their falling asleep was not to embarrass or chastise them or us, but to demonstrate our frailty. So often we rely on our own will and strength, leaving out the Holy Spirit altogether. Then when we fail, we condemn ourselves.

Jesus Christ did not intend for us to feel this way, but He knew we would. That is why He sent the Holy Spirit, not only to instruct us, but to hold us up because we are frail and not up to any task in our own strength.

Psalm 21:13 Be thou exalted, Lord, in thine own strength: so will we sing and praise thy power.

NOT

Amos 6:13 Ye which rejoice in a thing of nought, which say, Have we not taken to us horns by our own strength?

Yes, God has called us to act, but not alone, not in our own strength.

Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

2 Corinthians 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

How many times a day do you have a thought that is not a godly thought? If I were to weigh my thoughts, the scales would be heavily tilted to the worldly side. Now that is just me, I cannot speak for you. My opinion of what makes up a godly thought might differ from yours. What I call worldly, you might not. Perhaps you don’t give thought to this at all. I know there was a time when I did not.

There was a time my life when I did not give much thought to the influences around me. I did not realize just how much external words and images influenced who I was until I accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. I was given the Holy Spirit who immediately started renewing my mind. One area that changed was my conscience. What did not bother me yesterday was now troubling to me today.

Before I did not have a knowledge of God much less have respect for God, nor fear of God for sure. Once I came to Christ love came to the forefront of my inner man. I began to care what God thought of me. I might not have had a complete understanding of God’s love, but I had respect for it. My conscience became the rain gauge of bad thoughts and behavior. I had to empty the gauge and clear my conscience thru confession and forgiveness.

This godly conscience we develop is instrumental in bringing our thoughts into captivity. To better understand how important this work of the Holy Spirit is in us, do this. Take a gallon jug of water and hold it out to your side while thinking God is good. Keep that thought. Which will you will drop first, the thought or the water?

Yeah, me too.