#DailyProverbs 1 Corinthians 9:24-27: “Surely
you know that many runners take part in a race, but only one of them wins the
prize. Run, then, in such a way as to win the prize. Every athlete in training
submits to strict discipline, in order to be crowned with a wreath that will
not last; but we do it for one that will last forever. That is why I run
straight for the finishing line; that is why I am like a boxer who does not
waste his punches. I harden my body with blows and bring it under complete
control, to keep myself from being disqualified after having called others to
the contest.”
Suppression. Control. Alleviate. Assistance. There’s a pill for
everything now. Wouldn’t it be GREAT if we had that for our spiritual life??
What words would you use to describe our society?
Materialistic…
Sensual…
Impatient…
Indulgent…
Undisciplined…
--these are just a few. We're also a "have it now"
culture. We want microwavable. We want instant. But our tastes call for gourmet
and home-cooked. You will never beat homemade biscuits. You’ll never find
anything better than your Mamaw’s yeast rolls for a Sunday dinner on the
ground. But we don’t want to pay for it, in time. We don’t want the work that
comes with rolling out the dumplings from scratch. That’s how our society
operates now. Satan specializes in presenting us with opportunities for instant
gratification while promising us that indulging our appetites will bring us the
satisfaction we seek.
Our human appetites, in themselves, are not sinful. They are, in fact,
God-given. However, because of the fact that we cannot control our own weaknesses,
we need help. They need to be controlled. When our appetites rule us, we stay
in trouble. Ask any alcoholic how it started out… one glass of wine was fine.
Then unlimited glasses would never be enough. Control and moderation are the
key. You can’t eat your cheat day every day and stay healthy. And you can’t
sustain stringent discipline forever either. The body requires periods of
bulking up, leaning out and even fasting to operate optimally. Paul likened the
Christian life to that of athletes who are so focused on winning the race that
they exercise self-control in every area of their lives. That's exactly how
we're called to live, yet we lack the motivation, determination, and power to
do so in our own strength. For this reason, we need to rely on the Holy Ghost
within us. If we yield our lives to Him and step out in obedience to His
promptings, we'll have the strength to say no when fleshly desires feel
overpowering (Gal. 5:16).
Another key to success is keeping our focus on the eternal, instead
of the temporal. Many decisions that seem mundane are in fact spiritually
significant. They happen in a moment and then you are trapped. Gossip? Easy to
make the CHOICE in the moment to talk about someone. But that choice then makes
you an assassin to character. You are harming another. You are a spiritual
murderer. It creates a list of other things necessary like repentance,
restitution, saying you are sorry, and even addressing the harmed party to let
them know you did it, are sorry for it, and are ready for the consequences of
broken trust. It’s not a simple breath of “I’m sorry” to God. What about the
choice of lust? Or the choice to cheat on your partner or spouse? The choice of
financial inconsistency? It’s a choice to lie. But what about our exaggerations?
The choice we make when we use guile? What about the choice of skipping church
because you are tired, even if you have responsibilities and need to be there
to share the burden of work? What about the choice of saying you don’t “feel
well,” when you really just “don’t want to?” What about the CHOICE of ignoring
those that need help? What about the choice you make in judging a person
holding a sign asking for food, assuming they are just drunks or not worth helping?
What about the CHOICE of ignoring the poor? What about the choice of ignoring
the widowed? What about the choice to judge and ignore single moms? What about
the choice we make to alienate the divorced and those wives left and struggling
with both heartbreak and children and loss and stigma? What about the choice
you make to exclude them because it’s less comfortable to listen or sympathize?
What about the choice you make to tell gay people that God doesn’t love them
and they are reprobate? What about the choice you make to tell people of color,
in word or deed, that they are less than white people? What about the choice
you make to fight for minutia and political silliness when entire groups of
women, children, and girls are slaughtered due to greed? The choice to look the
other way is just that… a choice. What about the choice to still trade and
purchase goods those countries provide, but to boycott a soap product because
they aren’t Christian in their mission statement? What about the choice we make
to actively ignore the scriptures that tell us to exactly the opposite than we
think – to bless our enemies and to befriend and help those that have nothing?
Do you think God loves anyone that you don’t agree with any less
than you? Do you think that are you more lovable from the perspective of the
Cross?
Are you indulging an appetite of comfort that allows you to look the
other way? Is your ability to not be bothered so great that it’s more important
than reaching out to those that need it most? When the Enemy tempts us, he
always tries to keep our attention on our desire and the pleasure of indulgence
rather than on the eternal rewards and blessings we're forfeiting. Just remind
yourself how quickly immediate gratification wanes and how long eternity lasts.
#JustBeingMichael ツ
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