Heart change

“You have spoken arrogantly against me,” says the LORD.
“Yet you ask, ‘What have we said against you?’
“You have said, ‘It is futile to serve God. What do we gain by carrying out his requirements and going about like mourners before the LORD Almighty? But now we call the arrogant blessed. Certainly evildoers prosper, and even when they put God to the test, they get away with it.’”
(Malachi 3:13-15)

I don't know about you, but I sometimes find myself drifting towards this way of thinking.

I find myself questioning whether it is worth the effort of serving God. Wondering whether there is any benefit in continuing the painful battle with sin; a battle which never seems to be won. I find myself looking jealously at the world and at the people who don't need to worry about obedience and holiness.

However, the book of Malachi reminds us that this is arrogance. I am calling God's character and his wisdom into question. His are the ways that lead to life (3:7-8), and he is the unchanging God who loves us (3:6).

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)