With all the light snow and wind lately I’d have to admit my “wantoer” to keep the driveway clean has been broken. You ask, what is a “wantoer”? Well according to my dictionary, in noun form, my want-to-er is synonymous with desire or impulse. In verb form, my wantoer is applied as a yearning, a need, or an aspiration.
For example, yes, I am grateful the snow amounts have been light, but I just don’t want to scoop any more. Yes, I’m grateful that I am healthy and strong enough to scoop around the edges of my driveway, but I just don’t want to anymore. Yes, I am grateful that I have a really nice snow blower, but I just don’t want to have to start it again. When it comes to scooping snow, my wantoer is busted!!!!!!!
Will you pray with me that God will mend my wantoer to scoop snow? See, because of the fact my wantoer is broken, Vicki went out to get the mail on Monday and she fell when she hit some snow-covered ice. Thankfully she wasn’t injured.
Speaking of a broken wantoer, I think of the Apostle Paul who also found his wantoer was damaged. He wanted to live according to God’s will, but he kept finding himself doing what he didn’t want to do. He explains it this way in Romans 7, “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 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. 19 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. 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.”
After reading the passage, I would guess everyone can really relate to Paul. When it comes to doing good, our wantoers are broke. We wish we would take better care of our bodies, but our wantoers are broke. We wish we would walk as Jesus walked more faithfully and boldly, but our wantoers are broke. We wish we would manage our God-given resources more wisely, but our wantoers are broke. Actually, we were born with broken wantoers.
Mike, do you have any good news for us in this article? Yep, Paul continues, 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! (8) Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death (free from a broken wantoer).”
The good news is that our wantoers are restored when we admit we are powerless without Christ living in us. When I die to myself, surrender my will and allow the Holy Spirit to have his way in my life, my wantoer is renewed. As I learn to walk in the Spirit, I abandon my pursuit of gratifying my sinful nature, and I begin doing the good I want to do.
So, how about it, how is your wantoer when it comes to allowing Jesus to live his life through you? Father, our wantoers are broke—they’re dead!!!!!!!—and it’s hurting the people around us. Please send your Holy Spirit to breathe new life in us. May it be so.
Mike