Just Do It!®
A Devotional
©2001 Steve Lattier and Men’s Help Ministries


That is not only a trademarked slogan for an international sports clothier, it is also a slogan that defines the last ten or more years. It has a real devil-may-care ring to it doesn’t it? I think it is quite reminiscent of the old World War II movie inspired phrase "[censored] the torpedoes, full speed ahead" The world would have you just jump from moment to moment and not think of the long term consequences, to just live for today. Boy, now THAT is a trap from the pit of hell! That punk devil can only get you to believe lies, that is just about the only real power he has against a Christian and we are the ones who actually have to choose to believe them in the first place. Do you know that if the consequences of sin were instantaneous, sin would have a lot fewer takers! I am not really here to preach to you about the consequences of sin. I would like to teach you about the sacrifice it takes to do the right thing. Most of the time we initially don’t want to do the right thing. Heck we were raised in the world and we are products of it, in a sense. That is where your personal spiritual warfare takes place. Right there in your own mind where your spirit meets your flesh, and all too often your flesh rebels and wants to do and to have things that are not in your best interest. That, Christian is where the rubber meets the road, so to speak. Your flesh has a powerful draw on you, I am sure that you know that whether you stop to ponder the depth or not. Relax, you can, with God’s help overcome those flesh driven desires (whatever they might be) Let me toss an example out to you, and please consider it carefully as it may offend some of you. Jesus struggled with the idea of hanging from a cross for six long painstaking hours, let alone the lashings, beatings, being cut off from God etc. Let me say it more plainly. Jesus didn’t want to suffer. There I said it. Yes, Jesus came here to right the wrong done in the garden. Yes, He knew what he had to do, Yes he was willing to pay the price to unite man with God again. Yes, He submitted himself to God’s will, but he did not want to!

The Word:
Matthew 26:36 Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, "Sit here while I go over there and pray." [37] He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. [38] Then he said to them, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me." [39]Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will." [40] Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?" he asked Peter. [41] "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak." [42] He went away a second time and prayed, "My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done." [43] When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. [44] So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing. (emphasis is mine)

Three times Jesus asked God less than 18 hours before his crucifixion to see if maybe that there was a less painful way to reconcile humanity. Now please don’t mistake his not wanting to do it for a lack of a sense of duty. He fully recognized what he was to do and was quite willing to do whatever God asked of him. That is why he also repeated, not my will but your will be done. Does this humanize God or belittle him, no. It shows the contrast of a life filled with the flesh-conquering Holy Spirit. Your Salvation was completed on the cross and through the grave, it was SECURED in the garden! At that moment when Jesus used the power of the Holy Spirit to place his flesh in submission to God’s plan, you gained victory! What an awesome God we serve! It isn’t about whether we want this or that or even whether like this or that. It is all about putting our flesh in submission to God’s will. Let us examine a more human example, as I don’t think that any of us are destined for a cross anytime soon. This was written by Paul, one of the most prolific writers of the New Testament. Look at the war going on in his body!

The Word:
Romans 7:14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. [15] I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. [16] And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. [17] As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. [18] I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature.* For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. [19] For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do--this I keep on doing. [20] Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. [21] So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. [22] For in my inner being I delight in God's law; [23] but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. [24] What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?

What was that? A license to give up and wallow in sin. No, most certainly not. Paul wanted to let the church of Rome know that it is all about doing what is right irregardless of what our flesh wants at the time. The world and many fire and brimstone preachers would have you believe that there is a cost associated doing what is right, and they would no doubt point out that each one of the Apostles was imprisoned and or tortured and killed and that a good Christian should be prepared to do just like that. Sorry, not me. There is NO cast associated with doing the right thing, God’s will. That punk devil would have you believe it though. Remember all he can do is lie to you, so think about that for a second. Now sometimes there is a sacrifice associated in doing what is right. Some of you are undoubtedly saying, cost/sacrifice what’s the difference? Well for starters cost means that there is a price that will be extracted whether you like it or not. A sacrifice is something that you willingly lay aside for God. I can’t think of one time that God has asked for a sacrifice from me that I didn’t wind up better off after giving it up. Bad habits are gone, time wasted chasing foolishness is now spent in ministry. If you think about it, you can only gain when you do the right thing. As a matter of fact you will always gain in eternal matters when you do God’s will. Be ready though, your flesh and the enemy are waiting and ready with a boatload of lies and excuses to try and dissuade you from your course. Consider this; if you have to convince yourself what you are doing is right, then it probably isn’t. God’s will needs no other argument or explanation than a simple "because its the right thing to do." Reflect on this verse, it is a principle from the very beginning of God’s word.

The Word:
Genesis 4:7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it."

Doing the right thing is only seems painful because of our perspective. We have become largely "earth-oriented." In other words we have learned to judge our perceptions and feelings based off of ONLY our human side, leaving our soul and spirit hanging out to dry. In reality we should use our soul and spirit to make our decisions. If we did that our flesh would win a lot fewer arguments. Living eternally requires that we "Just do it, ®" the right thing that is, God’s will. To be quite different than what the world wants do the right thing and hang the worlds consequences. Let me close with this question. When was the last time you did something just because it was the right thing to do?

Pray With Me: Father I love you. I understand things differently now. Once again I humble myself in your presence and ask for your help, your strength. You conquered flesh in the garden Lord. Show me how to put my flesh aside as you did. Lord I have many cravings and desires that are holding me back from doing the right thing, from submitting to your will. Come into my life in a new way Lord. Send your Holy Spirit comfort me in my struggles. I want to sacrifice for you, I want to "just do it!" Help me in Jesus name. Amen!


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