Resist

[reposted from April 6, 2022 for today, Maundy Thursday, 2023]

“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” 

(James 4:7 NIV)

Yesterday I was going over the story of Jesus washing the disciples’ feet with my kids. While much of the story is about servanthood – how we serve and care for each other – they got stuck on the idea of “ewwww…..I don’t want anyone to wash my feet; that’s gross.” I admit that in our culture it is strange to think of bending down over a basin of water and physically washing another person’s feet. But this image is a powerful metaphor for serving other people in love. Jesus tells the disciples they should follow his example and wash one another’s feet because, “you will be blessed if you do them.” (John 13:17 NIV)

Who doesn’t want to be blessed by God, right? So why do we resist things that are good for us?

I know that it’s good for me, but I resist exercise.

I know that it’s good for me, but I don’t always go to bed on time. 

I know that it’s good for me, but I don’t generally resist the lure of chocolate chip cookies or brownies. 

I know that it’s good for me, but I struggle to forgive certain people. 

God doesn’t want us to resist his good things. Instead, he says, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7 NIV) 

Submit to God. Don’t resist the good disciplines or spiritual practices he wants to develop within you. Isaiah says it this way,  “If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land; but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” (Isaiah 1:19-20 NIV) If we resist and rebel against God’s good things we will be “devoured by the sword” – in my case, the “swords” of unforgiveness, poor health, and other self-inflicted ailments. Your “swords” may be similar or different. On the other hand, when we are “willing and obedient,” we will know the “good things of the land,” like peace, health, prosperity, blessings, etc. 

Resistance to the ways of the enemy of our souls is something we must do in this life. But resistance to God means missing his blessing. 

Who wants to miss a blessing? Not me. 

Perfect God,

Thank you that your wisdom is profound, your power is vast, and you want to bless us with all good things. Thank you that you have provided the way of the Cross and your Resurrection so that we can enter your family and know your love and grace. Thank you for your Word which teaches, confronts, corrects and guides us, so we may be trained in righteousness and thoroughly equipped for every good work. In this life each of us struggle to submit to you, at least in some places. We may know what is the right thing to do, but struggle time and time again to do the good we want to do. Help us to resist the voices that pull us away from your goodness and grace, from being able to serve others, and from living fully the life you have called us to. Help us to do the often hard, lonely, and painful work – especially forgiveness – within us so we can be freed from these burdens. Help us to align ourselves with your Will and Ways so we can know the fullness of the blessings you offer us. In Christ’s name we pray, Amen. 

“His wisdom is profound, his power is vast. Who has resisted him and come out unscathed?” (Job 9:4 NIV)

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIV)

“I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 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.” (Romans 7:15-20 NIV)

“It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

^“He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”

^“Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”

^““No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”

“Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”

^” “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!” Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.

“When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.” (John 13:1-17 NIV)