8.30.26 – Mr. Yetzer

It is hot out. You are working outside and sweating up a storm. The client comes out of their air-conditioned home to invite you in for a tall glass of ice water. He is concerned for your well-being. He invites you to come in and get a drink of cold ice water in the air-conditioned house. Then, you can come back out and finish the job. But you kindly refuse.

Thirty minutes later, the client comes back outside, reemphasizing how hot the temperatures are and how he does not want you working so hard in the blazing heat. Urgently, he begs you to take a break and come into the house where it is cool. He fearfully and caringly implores you and warns you that you are going to get heat exhaustion. So, he asks again for you to come in and get refreshed, to drink a cold glass of water, and then you can come back out and finish the job. Again, you kindly refuse.

As you finish up the job, you speak to your client. "Mr. Yetzer, may I ask you a question?" "Yes," he responds. "How much does that glass of water cost you?" "About five cents," he replies. "You know, sir, if I had come into the air-conditioned house and enjoyed that glass of cold water, chances are, we would have engaged each other in a nice conversation about the weather, life, family, and possibly even God. You see, sir, if I had done that, it would have thrown the rest of my work schedule off. It would have delayed my next job and the one after that. At the end of the day, I would not have gotten all the money from my boss that I needed to take care of my family. That five-cent glass of water would have cost me much more. And frankly, sir, I am a much better businessman than that."

Our yetzer hara—our evil inclination—is just like that client. It is constantly offering us refreshment in the middle of our workday, begging us to take a break from what we are called to do (Isa. 49:6; Acts 13:47), hindering our lives and minimizing the paycheck at the end of the day.

  • Prayer is so important (Matt. 26:41).

  • Focus is so important (Matt. 6:33).

  • A traveling mindset is so important (Acts 20:24).

  • Diligence to finish what we have started is so important (Matt. 10:22; 2 Tim. 4:7).

On this first day of the week, may you be like Ruth, who diligently worked in the field until the harvest was over (Matt. 9:37; Ruth 2:12; Prov. 11:18). May your day be more purposeful than Job's misguided mindset on life (Job 7:1–10). May your meditation in His word pay you fully at the end of the workday (Ps. 19:11)! Truly, at the end of the "day," the Lord will make sure you get paid all that you deserve (Matt. 16:27; Col. 3:23–24; Rev. 22:12). It is "hot" out there. Keep working (Eph. 2:10; Titus 3:8, 14). Be diligent. God is faithful to His word (Heb. 10:25). You have worked so hard—make sure you get paid in full (2 John 1:8).

Shalom!
Alan

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