You ever want to do the right thing, but just seem to do whatever you want? In my lifetime and more importantly as of late, I have found doing the right thing is hard. Doing the right thing is hard when it’s not the popular thing to do or when it is not what I want to do. It is much easier: not to mention the right thing, usually more fun to not do the right thing, and do what everyone else is doing. It is some time safer also. Think about this, there usually is no danger of looking stupid, preachy or offending people. Seriously, let’s be real about this most of the choices we make on a day to day basis, most of the things we do, aren’t exactly life-shattering choices. Nobody dies and nobody’s soul is lost. Is that true? Every day I wake up with the intent to be the best person I can, however in some way or another I miss the mark. I may say the wrong thing (curse words aren’t good), I may break the law (speeding is breaking the law), or I may lust for a woman (this one usually gets me) being a visual person I’m naturally attracted to beautiful women. Anyway my point being no one was hurt by anything I just mentioned. No one was hurt, but me. SO WHY IS IT WRONG? Here lies the problem. The Bible states, “For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them.”(2 Peter 2:21) OUCH! You see I accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior when I was in the 11th grade, so I know better. I was saved before I went to college (parties, women, and other things), and before I had children without being married. This troubles me, because now I don’t make as many mistakes, but I still have thoughts and act on some of those thoughts knowing it isn’t right. The good news is I know that God loves and forgives me. The Bible states, “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” (Matthew 6:14-16 NIV) I’m sure He’s not happy with some of things I sometimes do. Thank God for Jesus! I used to tell myself, I may not always do things that are exactly right, but they’re not exactly wrong, either. That was and some time still is me justifying my falling. I used to tell myself that I was trying to resist doing the wrong things when in fact I was only choosing to do lesser things. The fact is most of us have not even made an honest attempt at resisting temptation. Some of us cave in immediately without much of a fight. "Well, I'll quit doing that next week." "Why struggle now when I know I am going to do it again anyway?" "It is just a matter of time, and now is as good a time as any." But temptation feeds on our weakness and bent desires. You see temptation is only the beginning. It is like a progression you start off small knowing that you’ll be forgiven, but if you aren’t careful things can get out of hand quick. When thoughts of doing something that is not right enter my mind I need to start seeing it for what it is, THE WRONG THING. I thought I had been putting up a noble fight looking for a pat on the back. Then I read this: In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. (Heb 12:4 NIV) I guess I haven’t been trying hard enough. I do know this and I say it not as an excuse but I offer it as a reality to all. GOD IS NOT FINISHED WITH ME YET! I know this because in the Word, “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. (Philippians 1:6 NLT) Now if he’ll do it for me, he’ll surely do it for you.
Until next time
Long Live The Kane
No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. (1 Cor 10:13NIV)
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My random thoughts...
ReplyDeleteTemptation is an interesting thing isn't it? I think most people think, as you have stated the "bigger" things that tend to snag most people in our lives.. But there are small temptations. One's we still justify like you said.. Food is a huge one for a lot of peeps. We justify, and let me just be clear here I do this as well that we can have that one more cookie cause we'll burn it off tomorrow... Or whatever. It could be shopping, watching TV, or talking on the phone. These things are just as tempting as over looking at a woman or a man.. But the key note here is that 1 Corinthians tells us we will not be tempted beyond what we can bare! And that He provides a way out. That is why we need to be focused. In order to see the way out. He always gives us a way out.
This really goes well with the post that I felt the Lord calling me to write on my blog... Focus. It's screaming at me right now. I might be tempted to look away from Jesus' eyes while I water walk, and oh! I truly will look away. But the Lord is steadfast and will be ready. To grab us. To pull us out. To help us resist.
One of the things on the flip side of temptation I find so fascinating is that we have a choice. I am not talking about the choice He gives us, but literally making a choice to not speed, not looking at another individual and think lustily thoughts, cussing, lying, etc. Sure he gives us free will. But we tork it with our brains so much so we then twist everything. When all we have to do is choose. It is really as simple as that, even though it is not simple to execute. It is hard. I know, I have been there.. I go through it all of the time just like anyone else. But the freedom I find is making a choice based upon what I know. And then I stick to it, no matter how hard I struggle with it, whatever that struggle is. Because in the end, it wasn't truly a struggle at all... I just chose to speed, to look at someone wrong, cuss, or over eat. We just justify our choices by making them right, when we know that they are not. That is pure conflict. It is why in the end the moments, the mere seconds we choose to be tempted it does not last... Because that is where it stops. Where God says, here is a way out make your choice. When you know the truth it's awfully hard to run away from that.
I have used this quote before and I love it. In one of the Harry Potter movies, Dumbledore is talking to Harry in his dorm. He tells Harry that "Now is the time to do what is right or what is easy." It is easy to not be a Christian in today's times. I know because I was there some 10 years ago. However, as hard as it is I know that it is right and I wouldn't change that for a second of ease, ever...
This was a good post, much to ponder on, chew and spit out..
Oh by the way, I had no clue that you accepted Christ in the 11th grade.. You learn something new about someone daily!