Do you ever do something… grudgingly? Of course you do! We all do. And the success of the expenditure of (money, time, energy, etc.) is??? Yes, sometimes there is success and many times – not. And can we take any credit for the success? What about our involvement? Could we have made a difference if we had wholeheartedly entered into the situation/project/ etc.? The most important questions is: why do you feel ‘grudgingly’ about (fill in the blank)? And… does the world know you are doing (whatever is asked) under duress? Probably.
There are always moments in our lives when we feel compelled to do or not do something. It really isn’t our first choice but somehow we feel we are obligated to (fill in the blank). Unfortunately, for most of us, the feelings of obligation are often accompanied by feelings of not wanting to be involved or interrupted in whatever we are involved in at the moment. But a quick think gets us to the point of becoming involved. If the feeling of not wanting to be involved… is also a grudging involvement then we have a huge problem (at some point between acceptance and eventual result). The problem is summed up in the words… how can I get out of this?
And if this is a foreign feeling for you, then you are indeed an unusual person – no criticism but… are you sure? Whenever the request for your help, and whether or not you are involved in something else, the timing of these requests is rarely convenient. This adds to our feelings of being ‘put upon’ and can increase our grumpiness. However, I would also argue that if you aren’t going to be fully committed to (fill in the blank) then your lack of involvement won’t lead you to a satisfying conclusion.
Grudgingly isn’t a state that produces any good fruit. One lesson that we learn in scripture is that our ‘yes’ should be yes and our ‘no’, no (Matthew 5:37) which precludes an ambivalent lifestyle. We may not be appreciated if we say ‘no’ to a request, but what kind of reaction will we receive when it becomes obvious that we’d rather be anyplace else than where we are? If we follow our ‘no’ with our reasons for refusal, this typically is accepted easier. However… if we are to choose to become involved then we need to be honest and choose to make our ‘yes’ – yes.
