Reluctant means unwilling, disinclined or resisting to do anything and unable to obey. Every child ought to obey their parents. In the same token, every Christians should or must obey God. When a Christian undergoing some inner struggle and unwilling or unable decide to disobey God’s will that Christian is reluctant and become disobedient to the will and purpose of God. God is displeased when we are reluctant or tried to challenge His wisdom in calling us for divine service (See Moses in Ex. 4; Jeremiah 1). Reluctantly disobeying God is sinful. There are so many ways Christians in these last days become reluctant. These are some examples.
- Not wanting to share the gospel or talk about your faith can be reluctant.
- Not praying regularly or participating in daily reading and meditation of the word of God.
- Spiritual and mental struggle between disinclination and sense of duty (Jonah).
- Feeling or showing doubt about or eager to do something can be reluctant.
- Unbelieve and lack of faith can be reluctant (Abraham and Sarah and Ahaz).
- Refusing to be open to fellowship with God and other believers is reluctant.
- Not standing for Jesus can be reluctant (Esther and Mordecai).
- Being strong –willed, fretful, pouting, hasty and clannish can make us reluctant (Jonah).
- Wrong attitudes to the will, word of God, others and circumstances (Jonah).
Jonah tried hard to thwart the will and purpose of God by fleeing from the task that God had given him (Jonah 1: 3). No matter how reluctant; we cannot escape from God, prevent the will of God and allowed our biased opinion from the outworking of God’s eternal purpose.
SIGNS OF BECOMING A RELUCTANT CHRISTIAN
- Not responding to the love of God or walking in Love (Prov. 8: 17; Eph. 5: 2).
- Disobedience, grieving the Holy Spirit (Eph. 4:30)
- Lack of infilling of the Holy Spirit (Eph. 5: 18)
- Lying, anger, bitterness, wrath, malice and unforgiveness (Eph. 4: 25-32).
- Forsaking the assembly of brethren and not reading the word of God (Heb. 10: 25).
- Not attending a Bible believing Church.
- Lack of prayer/Not living as the new man/allowing reason or logic or feelings instead of faith in God to be the determining factor in our relationship with God (Rom. 12: 1-2)
THE PROBLEMS RELUCTANT CHRISTIANS FACE TODAY.
- Loss of rewards at the judgement seat of Christ.
- God’s intervention and inducement to do His will.
- Experience the judgement of God on the reluctant worker, family and others.
- The reluctant worker becomes unloving, loss of the peace and rest of God.
How you responds to God’s will make you rebellious, disobedience, indifference and impenitence. A reluctant worker no matter what is in dire jeopardy because he or she becomes unfulfilled and unpleasing to God. God will always accomplish His work despite the resistance of His reluctant worker.
HOW DO YOU AVOID BECOMING RELUCTANT? Repentance, dedication, prayer for help, accept God’s discipline, trusting God’s promises and yielding to God’s will (Jonah 2:1-10). Instead of being a reluctant worker we should strive always to be surrendered servant (4:8-9; Luke 22:42)