Duplicity of Mission

Today's Reading:  Matthew 21

Scripture:

"and he answered, 'I will sir'; but he did not go."  Matthew 21:30

Observation:

This parable illustrates two sons.  The father approaches both sons and asks them to go into his vineyard and work.  The first one refuses on the frontend but later regrets his words and goes to work.  The second immediately says yes but later regrets his words and does not go into the vineyard to work. 

The point of the story was that the people of Jewish society who had initially rejected God and were considered sinners came around to accept God's call.  The religious elite who initially said yes to God later rejected His call.  It was a call for the religious leaders to recognize the duplicity in their mission.  They were no longer serving just God.  There were also serving themselves.

Application:

Duplicity:  acting in bad faith; deception by pretending to entertain one set of intentions while acting under the influence of another.  As I sit and read this definition over in my mind I feel the burden of its conviction and question my own intentions. 

I struggle with fulfilling my yes.  So much in life works against living out a "yes" to God.  It is very hard to stay on task and remain focused.  My own selfish nature gets in the way and my mission becomes split.  I am seeking after God but I am also watching out for myself.  Finding the balance between self-preservation and killing my old nature is hard. 

Prayer:

Father I am convicted this morning about the gap between my obedience and my words.  I do not want to tolerate one hint of this mess anymore.  I want to be wholly Yours.  I want to trade every dream and desire for the pursuit of Your mission. 

I ask that Your Holy Spirit guide me today as I seek after You.  Guide me in conversation today so that I learn to better hear Your voice and recognize Your leading in every situation.  Empower me to fulfill Your command to take captive every thought and force it into submission to Your will.

I want to live my life as a man with a call.   A man with a mission.  A man with purpose.  I can only do this based on the degree to which You are alive and active before me in tangible ways.  If I find myself not sensing Your guiding presence before me, please give me the wisdom I need to recognize this. In the midst of that awareness I pray that I have the humility to stop, discover where I got of track and return to the path of Your sovereign will for my life.