Genesis 4:6 So the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? 7 “If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.”

      God asked Cain a few simple questions: “Why are you angry?” and “Why do you look so dejected?” Cain was not able to answer these questions because he fell into the temptation that was waiting at the door of his heart, and killed his brother even though God had warned him he was in a dangerous place. Cain was putting no effort into being willing to do better. A lot of the time, the will to do better or the will to improve does not come from the hearts of those who have given up on God or life. It is challenging and very difficult to motivate unmotivated people. What can anyone do if there is no desire or will to do better?

      There is a growing number of people who are no longer motivated to even get out of bed, let alone do better. They have lost the will to do anything and apathy has become their default setting for existing. This dullness of spirit will eventually result in an unwillingness to work, participate, or engage in life. Prov. 26:15 The lazy man buries his hand in the bowl; it wearies him to bring it back to his mouth. There are all kinds of reasons and mitigating circumstances that are causing this type of slothfulness to take place in people’s hearts. Hopelessness is clouding their ability to have goals and visions for future participation in life or anything of spiritual value. Many have hit an emotional rock bottom and have discarded the will to do better toward any lofty goal that they feel cannot be reached. The only thing that can change a heart is the Lord’s heart-healing balm of infinite love, but that love needs to be accepted.

      Most of us, have at one time, hit a wall where we just do not care about anything anymore. The majority of the time, it is because we are sowing to the flesh and the results are unfulfilled expectations. Hag. 1:6 You have sown much, and harvested little. You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes. The discouragement begins to lie to our souls and says, “We have lost our way and are going nowhere because, at the end of the day, nothing is working in our favour.” Hag. 1:9 You looked for much, and behold, it came to little. And when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why? declares the LORD of hosts. Because of my house that lies in ruins, while each of you busies himself with his own house. This attitude can change, if we would repent and change our direction and focus on who and what we are listening to.

      What has robbed our souls of hoping that things could get better? My friend Carolyn says, that individualism has failed the people because all their hope was in their ability to create a life for themselves, but found that at the end of the day, they could not be their own heroes. The life they created was built on the empty reasoning that God could be replaced by themselves, and life would flow along just fine. The issue I see is that if anyone removes God from their life, then who is going to move within their soul to encourage the soul to do better? It is the Lord who encourages us to choose life and grow within the life He gave us. Deut 30:19 I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live.

      It is the Lord God who gives life to our visions and desires. Our Heavenly Father will also give us desires that will accommodate His will to fulfill the plans we have been created for. Psalm 20:4 May He give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed. Our will to improve and the desire to become a better version of who God created us to be can only move forward if the King of kings, and Lord of lords, reigns in our hearts. I know there are all kinds of positive thinking books, programs, and courses to help mankind rise above the mundane of human achievement. However, we were created for much more than the life we now have on this earth. We were created with eternity in mind, and that will take more than a book or two on positive reinforcement or feel-good mantras. Eccl. 3:11a He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, He has put eternity in their hearts.

      There are no easy answers to the ills that the world’s population are suffering from. There are no simple fixes for those who are losing their will to live and become better people. The reasons for all the upheaval in the world cannot be fixed, with the governments enacting another ordinance that will give everyone a feel-good moment. The healing work will need to be much deeper than that. It will take a submission of our will and hearts to be given to the leading of the Holy Spirit to restore our friendship with God.

      The Lord can only heal and give life to those who ask Him to do the work that needs to be done in their lives. It starts by accepting the Lord’s invitation to Himself. Matt 11:28 Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Once we are rested in the Lord’s goodness, the will to improve will begin to flow from our hearts. God’s love can give our souls the strength to choose the life God has created for our eternal well-being. It is God’s life at work within us that helps us do better. Therefore, choose God and live.