Whether you’re brushing your teeth, combing your hair or shaving, mirrors reflect the grim reality of physical features. Every minor imperfection is magnified, leaving a spirit of disappointment hovering over hearts, minds and souls who have let their bodies go. As I looked at my expanding waist line the other night, one thought reverberated in my head, “I can’t wait another day to act!”
Gone are the days of high metabolisms as bad eating habits show up quickly. In the meantime, the freshman 15 has led to the married 25, resulting in the lazy 50. When your eyes are opened to a crisis of weight, you have 3 options: accept it, continue in a state of deny or be motivated to make drastic changes. As for me, I’m somewhere between accepting and action, praying for the discipline for success.
Luke 14L28 suggests that everyone should consider the cost before making any decision. Whether you’re contemplating a career change, diet or move, you have to weigh the pros and cons. Although I haven’t developed a concrete plan, exercise and giving up soda is a good place to start. Regardless of the obstacle standing in your way, don’t wait another day or else the additional calories may be too much to overcome.
History has a habit of uncovering relics from the past. Caves hid the Dead Sea Scrolls until 1946 when 981 texts written in Aramaic, Greek and Hebrews were discovered over a 10 year period. However, there are always things in plain sight which get overlooked, neglected by those too busy to slow down.
As I opened Leviticus 19 today, I stumbled upon an expanded version of the 10 commandments. Although some of the passages are subtle reminders, God conveys to Moses the whys to keeping decrees and laws. These biblical nuggets offer common sense, direction and a foundation for faith. Nonetheless, unless you accept and practice these precepts, you will be vulnerable to straying off course.
There are several reasons why commandments are forgotten. First, the Bible offends those comfortable with how they are living, reluctant to change. Second, people don’t like to be told that they are wrong, especially if there are eternal consequences. Third, since truth has become relative, everyone has their own take on right and wrong. In the end, Leviticus 19 serves as a wake up call, to alert those sleep walking through life. May the words of Scripture breathe life into sleepy, tired and weary souls.
How many times in life do you seek an emotional high? One that never ends; giving you a sensation like a drug, 24 hours a day. Many go through their entire lives searching, but never find the real thing.
Do you recall your first day of school? As formal education begins, innocence gives way to curiosity and terror. Fears over finding friends and earning acceptance by your peers takes precedence. However, the thought of being away from your parents provides a sense of freedom temporarily. This freedom entices you to try new things, experimenting with fruit, forbidden by parents and teachers.
By the time junior high arrives, eyes start to wander… BABES, STUDS, ALCOHOL and DRUGS! Perhaps you might not be as distracted as some, yet juicy stories spread fast through the grape vine peeking your interest. The closer you look, the mind takes on an alter ego, longing for items on the other side of the fence. Fleshly desires, peer pressure and the unknown leads you to the verge of sin thinking, “Oh baby this sure does feel good.”
A junior high experiment often leads to a senior high life style. Marijuana, pranks and sex are just a few of the choice behaviors one indulges in to obtain the real thing. Sure, there are risks, even consequences; but what will my friends think if I go straight? “Everybody is doing it, why can’t I,” says the follower. As high school drifts by, the next hurdle to jump is college. Hobbies you once did for a buzz no longer provide satisfaction. Call it what you may: a habit, obsession, way of life or obliterating time, something inside can’t let go. This quest for real life has turned into an addiction.
Have you ever stopped to wonder why you do what you do? Has it occurred to you that you’ve missed something along the way? Is there something else out there beside living for the weekend? I don’t believe you and I were placed on this earth by accident. Growing up, working for a living 9 to 5, have fun for a while then repeat this cycle over and over again til you die? This doesn’t make sense! There must be a greater purpose or meaning in life, but what is it?
Jesus Christ, the son of God the Father is your answer. God sent His one and only son, Jesus, down to earth, to die for blemishes on earth, John 3:16-17. Jesus rose from the dead, ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father according to the Apostle’s Creed. Jesus didn’t just die on a cross and rise from the dead for His own glory, Romans 5:8. Rather, Jesus became sin for us: for you, me and everyone ever born on planet earth. Jesus did all of this so that all of us might be seen as righteousness before God, 2 Corinthians 5:21.
This may sound crazy, yet there is no other HIGH greater than entering into a relationship with Jesus Christ, Romans 10:9-10. Nothing else compares to dedicating your life to God in your living years, John 10:10. Thus, peace is found in no other place, Galatians 5:22-23. This isn’t about High’s and Low’s. This is about life and death, living and dying, Deuteronomy 30:11-16. The only way to Jesus is through denying yourself, Matthew 16:25. You may think I’m odd, strange or simply old-fashion, yet God has placed the words of this blog on my heart.
If you have tried most everything else, don’t waste your precious time any longer; embrace the Real Thing, Jesus Christ!
Charles Schultz conjured up in his mind a fictional character with real life tendencies in his classic comic strip Peanuts. Linus was a boy who never wanted to leave his favorite blanket, finding comfort from this childhood possession. Today, infants have similar habits, becoming attached to binkies, serving as a calming device to produce sleep. Despite purging closets each spring, most adults aren’t willing to let go of sentimental items, keeping a few like a security blanket from your past.
Peter was a professional fisherman whose new acquaintance introduced himself as a carpenter. Luke 5:1-11 recounts this first meeting as Peter listens to Jesus speak after a long night of work. Despite his initial hesitation, Peter is willing to trust someone from another occupation, based upon a gut feeling within his heart, Luke 5:6. Subsequently, Peter reached a point of conviction, guilty of holding on to traditions instead of faith. By the end of this passage, each member of his crew was touched by God, leaving everything they knew behind, letting go of their security blankets.
I’m not sure if its my ego, pride or stubbornness, but I find it hard to completely change the routines I have set in life. Sure, every New Year’s provides a tempest, the perfect conditions to rededicate one’s life. Nonetheless, the fear of uncertainty prevents permanent transformation from occurring. Thus, when the going get’s tough, people fall back on what they know instead of following the advice of strangers. This reality of life fulfills the words of Proverbs 27:19, “as water reflects a face, so a man’s heart reflects the man.” May the example of these fishermen inspire others to forgo the security blankets of their past with a faith for the future.
In the film, Behind the Devil’s Door, still in its infant stage, I am attempting to unravel the allure and subtleness of sin. James, the brother of Jesus uses first century fishing terminology to address the power of sin, James 1:13-15. Like a fish in hiding, a specific bait get’s their attention, similar to a momentary lapse in judgment. It only takes a minuscule compromise to get hooked, setting in motion the continuum of sin.
The human mind is like fertile soil, ready to prosper with the right balance of the Son and living water, John 4:13-14. Unfortunately, this ground is surrounded by fields of weeds, influenced by the flesh, world and spiritual realm. Winds of temptation blow seeds of self, pleasure and rebellion, seeking to take root in your thought life. Once implanted, this foreign root system can over ride your will, leading you toward a series of choices near the road called sin.
When detours are taken and U-Turns back toward God aren’t executed, your choices form a cycle of sin, also known as bad habits. If these habits continue, without holding them in check, unusual behavior results due to a loss in control, forming addictions. Empowered by a lack of self-discipline, addictions grow into an internal bondage, becoming enslaved to a specific sin or sins, Romans 7:15.
Every month, another minister is exposed by the continuum of sin. Even if one is not discovered or found out, this pattern continues without public confession or purging sinful elements which produces your desire to sin. The longer one strays from the narrow road of eternity, Matthew 7:13-14, the more difficult it becomes to escape this bondage and the demonic forces feeding your flesh. Evil super naturalism then creates a spiritual stronghold, making it impossible to break free on your own.
The James 5:16 principle is the first of many steps toward a path to recovery. A weekly accountability partner is essential, intervention is highly recommended and divine help through people praying for you can unravel this stronghold. As for the time, it varies depending upon your degree of sin. The apostle Paul gives believers further insight in 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 to help you in your battle with the continuum of sin. Never give up hope as you wrestle to take back control of your heart, soul and mind!
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