Unshackled Echo ~ January 15, 2019 ~ Keep Going Through The Motions

As I sit and write this, I have another tab open on my browser playing the first episode of season 10 of Faceoff from the Scyfy website. Leah and I watched it last night from another source, despite the fact that we had logged on to the Scyfy site to watch it legitimately. Even though we didn't watch it from the official site, I wanted to stream it from there to show we watched. I wanted Leah and I to be counted for ratings purposes. We enjoy the show, and I wanted Scyfy to know that, but not enough to watch it from a source that wouldn't permit full screen viewing and where a portion of the screen was lost due to window size.

There were other streaming sources that made the viewing feel up to the same standard as if we where able to watch it on our television when it aired the previous night. We did not watch the show on an official source, but I want it to appear as though we did because I want the show to continue. I'm still frustrated about Firefly being cancelled. But I don't want to watch the show on their site. I prefer the alternative streams.

It occurred to me that I do something similar to this sort of thing sometimes with God. I don't really want to do this whatever it is, or I don't feel like or up to doing this, or I don't truly have a desire to do this God's way - I prefer to tweak God's will with my more enjoyable personal touch, but I'm going to at the very least go through the motions of doing  what I should, because I know it's the right thing, the better way in the end, and or I know I will want to do what I am called to do at some point, and I don't want Him to change His mind and have me do something else.

The true meaning of the Potter and the clay analogy is not that the Potter can and will make whatever He wants to out of the clay, but rather if the clay refuses to yield and be pliable the Potter will have to change His plans and make something else. I don't want that, so at times I go through the motions of compliance when the willingness and desire are lacking. Other times, I truly desire with all my heart to do what God has called me to do and to do it His way.

Sometimes going through the motions is better than not. We say it like it's always a bad thing, but the man who keeps putting one foot in front of the other, though he may stumble, though he may go a little crazy and lose all awareness of his goal, his plan or any and all of his desire, will eventually walk right up out of the desert he's trying to escape if he simply continues to go through the motions of walking. But his brain is a little fried from the heat and lack of water, He doesn't desire to walk. He's forgotten why he's walking. He no longer understands anything about what he's doing. He's just stumbling along like a wind up toy that hasn't run down. That's not the way to live. Shouldn't he stop doing anything and everything until he changes his attitude? Shouldn't he try to reawaken his desire for the right reasons? Motives matter. God looks at the heart.

Yes, motives matter. God looks at the heart. But if the man crossing the desert stops going through the motions, he will die. He can't stop or he may not start again. And when we're at our lowest, driest and can't really feel or remember why we're doing the spiritual things we are doing, why we are serving God, when we don't desire to walk with God is the most dangerous time to stop and rest. Because the desire that drives us to our feet when we're exhausted isn't there. This is the time to obey because we know if we stop walking with God, we'll die in the desert. Not because He'll curse us, but because we will have stayed too long in a place that doesn't support life.

I know if I do that thing, if I keep going through the motions, I'll find my way to the oasis and be refreshed and restored at some point. When that happens, I will rejoice again. I will see the desire once more rise up within my soul. I know that my life and service will be what it should be and with the motives coming from the right place. But until then, I trust that the desert has an end, obey what I have been told, or in other words keep walking, keep taking the spiritual steps I have been given, even when I don't feel the point anymore and go through the motions that will eventually take me through the dry place. Sometimes going through the motions is the only way to get to the place of safety and joy in Christ. Trust and obey for there's no other way.

Today's Unshackled Echo was previously published on

January 15, 2016.

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