“Dad, do we have to go to church?”
“We don’t have to—we get to!”
Anyone who has ever had to convince their kids or grandkids to go to church has probably said something like this, and for good reason! Psalm 1:2 says blessed is the man whose “delight is in the law of the LORD, and on His law he meditates day and night.” For Christians, it is a delight to hear God’s Word and follow His commandments.
But does it always feel that way? Actually, it might feel more delightful to do the opposite of what God says in His Word. The Bible says we should be generous instead of greedy, but hoarding our money for ourselves seems so much more practical. The Bible says God created sex for marriage, but it might seem more realistic to bend the rules on that one. The Bible says to keep the Sabbath day holy, but it’s so relaxing to sleep in on Sundays instead.
So how can we teach our children—and ourselves—to treasure God’s Law, to listen to God’s Word, and to actually delight in it, even when it doesn’t always feel delightful to our sinful hearts? Even when the world says it is better for us to ignore what the Bible says and instead do what feels best to us?
First and foremost, we remember that God delights in us. David writes, “He brought me out into a broad place; He rescued me, because He delighted in me” (Psalm 18:19). Romans 5:8 says, “But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
We have a good Father, and He loves us. He created us, forgives us, and gives us His good gifts. We can trust what He says is best for us. We can delight in His will and walk in His ways, through the power of the Holy Spirit. It’s not to earn our salvation—Jesus already did that. We follow out of love, faith, trust, and joy.
We also remember that God is with us as we walk in His ways. Paul writes this in 1 Corinthians 10:13:
No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation He will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
God takes our burdens, lays them on His own shoulders, and strengthens us in our walk of faith. He assures us of His love, forgiveness, and care again and again as we stumble through these days on earth of sanctified living, delighting in knowing all the while whose we are in Christ Jesus. With God’s grace, we get to walk in His ways, trusting that His way is far better than our ways or the way of the world.
Martin Luther wrote, “to feel temptation is, therefore, a far different thing from consenting or yielding to it.”1 On this side of heaven, we will always feel tempted to sin, to delight in what feels good instead of what God says is good. But we pray for strength to resist temptation and follow Jesus instead.
And the good news is that God gives us the strength we pray for! In fact, He is our strength. Exodus 15:2 says,
The LORD is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise Him, my father’s God, and I will exalt Him.
When we are weak, God is strong. We don’t rely on our own willpower to follow Jesus. We rely on Him and His strength. He will help us turn from sin and follow in His good and delightful ways.
So when your child or friend or even your own heart asks you, “Do I really have to follow God’s Word in this situation?” then you can say, “You don’t have to, you get to!”
Scripture: ESV®.
1Large Catechism, Part 3, paragraph 107 in Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions, second edition © 2006 Concordia Publishing House. All rights reserved.
Download this month’s Everyday Faith Calendar, which looks at Bible verses about delighting in the Lord. You will find short Bible readings and prayer prompts for each day.