Corona Devo 3061

I'm not sure what part of the world you woke up in today, but where I live, it's been pretty cold lately.  Way below freezing temperatures, actually.  

I remember learning in grade school about the experiments that scientist Ivan Pavlov did with dogs.  Pavlov knew that dogs drool (salivate) naturally when they see food (this is called an "unconditioned response", because it happens naturally).  Pavlov believed, tested, and proved that if he rang a bell in tandem with serving the dogs food, then eventually, they would associate the bell with food, and drool...even when there was no food being served (and just a bell ringing).  (This is called a "conditioned response", because a subject can be "conditioned" to behave in this way).

The dogs in the experiment eventually drooled at the ringing of a bell, without any food in sight.

That's our science lesson for today, but I have been a part of my own little scientific experiment lately.  I think there would be good evidence for scientists like Pavlov to study the effects of cold weather on people's motivation and work ethic.  In general, my hypothesis is that when it is cold outside (way below freezing temperatures), people become apathetic and tend to want to stay in bed under the covers.

Lethargy sets in.  A lack of motivation occurs.  Laziness lulls over our lives.

I've run a few of my own tests in this area.

And it's not just cold weather that can keep us inactive, unproductive, or even frozen-in-function.  Feelings of being overwhelmed can cause the same outcome.  Fear, anxiety, depression: same.  There are many factors in life that can cause us to hunker down and (want) to stay mentally/physically/even spiritually put.

But we have to make the choice today to move.  To move in Christ.  To work.  To enter the day and get-in-motion and do what we are meant to be doing today.  

Laziness brings on deep sleep, and the shiftless go hungry.  ~Proverbs 19:15

We may want to stay under the covers of life, but our counsel (and kick-in-the-butt) comes from the Bible today.  Let's heed it:

Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! (7) It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, (8) yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. (9) How long will you lie there, you sluggard?  When will you get up from your sleep? (10) A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest—(11) and poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man.  ~Proverbs 6:6-11 

Where are we headed when we are standing (lying) still?  The answer is nowhere.  

God made us to work and to be fulfilled by doing our work and our efforts in His Name.  Adam was the very first man, and Adam was the very first person that God assigned work to.  We are created-for and meant to have purpose in our days and lives by contributing to the world around us with the gifts God has given us.  (Let's get up and out of bed today!)

• The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.   ~Genesis 2:15

• Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters...  ~Colossians 3:23

~~~

Sometimes our circumstances are dire.  Extreme even.  
Sometimes we feel in our heart and mind as if we just can't.

I know.

But when I saw a small rabbit on our back (deep-snow laden porch) last night, God reminded me that this little creature was not hunkered down and lamenting the probability of freezing to death.  

That bunny was hopping around and eating bush-branches at 11 PM and negative degrees Fahrenheit. 

I watched as he stretched his whole body out to reach up for a brittle bite of branch.  It was freezing outside!  Way below freezing, actually.  But this creature was active and working to survive and thrive. 

What are we doing today?  Let's get active and working to survive and thrive. 

 

Lazy hands make for poverty,  but diligent hands bring wealth.  ~Proverbs 10:4

We were not created to stay sleeping under the covers today. 
God made us to work and to be fulfilled by our work and our efforts in His Name, but we're going to have to make the decision to begin.  

Do everything without grumbling or arguing, (15) so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” 

Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky (16) as you hold firmly to the word of life.  ~Philippians 2:14-16   

We can trust the Lord in this, and not trusting Him will not benefit us. 

All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.  ~Proverbs 14:23

Cold, fear, worry, you-name-it: life can pin us down.  But there is a fullness and a freedom in living the way that God commands us to.  Let's get up and get to work today. 

For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: “The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.” 

(11) We hear that some among you are idle and disruptive. They are not busy; they are busybodies. (12) Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the food they eat. (13) And as for you, brothers and sisters, never tire of doing what is good.  ~2 Thessalonians 3:10-13 

When it's cold, when it's scary, when it's lonely: we may not have the strength to go forward, but God does.  Trust Him today.  

He will give us the strength to get out of our little burrow and get to work on whatever work He has for us.  It might s-t-r-e-t-c-h us.  It might intimidate us.  But He is for us.   

The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves.  He will take great delight in you...  ~Zephaniah 3:17

Our will to actively-serve-the-Lord today: is it an unconditioned response (happens naturally) or a conditioned response (we must be "conditioned" to behave in this way)?

The answer is: there is no science to serving the Lord: just faith.  Be active in it today.

Blessings,

sarah

https://sarahsundy04.blogspot.com