Seriously?

⁷“Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to sin! Such things must come, but woe to the man through whom they come! ⁸If your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. ⁹And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell. Matthew 18:7-9

My head was down, eyes were closed. I asked God to show me my sins, make them clear. I feel so numb - so content to do as I please. Am I here to glorify myself or God? My sins could fill a novel... however at this moment 3 came to mind in particular.

- Gluttony

- Drunkenness

- Harsh words

God why do I do these over & over when I know they're wrong? Give me the desire to change, let me feel the weight of my sin, let me feel the pain it causes. My next thought surprised me - "I would rather my mouth be closed shut than to continue a life with these sins".

My mouth lets me eat too much, it lets me drink too much, it releases the harsh words. My tongue enjoys the flavours, the taste, it forms my words. It would be so much easier to just have my mouth shut forever! Then I wouldn't be able to do these things.

I don't think it's actually the answer. If I close my mouth I know I'll find other ways to sin.. or I'll just explode. Like an air mattress.. you can plug one hole but sure enough you'll find another soon.

This thought though... it let me feel the gravity of my sins. Jesus didn't sugar coat things when he proclaimed the words in the verse above. He hates sin... he had to LITERALLY DIE for sin... so why is it that we can so easily brush them away, like they are no big deal?

Jesus doesn't want us to mutilate ourselves, but I do think He wants us to take our sins seriously.... repent... and turn from them. It is like the woman from John 8: 1 - 11. She was brought before Jesus as an adulteress. Jesus rebuked them saying "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.". They went away, leaving the woman & Jesus. 'Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" "'No one, sir,' she said. "'Then neither do I condemn you,' Jesus declared. 'Go now and leave your life of sin.'"

We need to repent & turn. We don't need to chop off our limbs but there are things we can physically cut out to help stop the sin.

For example, here are some things I have thought of for myself:

- Gluttony: Don't just eat mindlessly, eat with the purpose to nourish. Our bodies are temples not disposal bins. Pack a lunch & stick to it. Don't buy things from the cafe. If I need comfort, turn to God not food.

- Drunkenness: In my opinion, there is nothing wrong with a glass of wine or beer. However, if you can't be content with one glass then this is something that causes you (me) to stumble. It's better to go to Heaven without ever tasting wine again then to show up at Heaven's gate with a hangover.

- Harsh words: This one is hard but I think that the easiest thing would be to be silent. If you are angry or upset, when you heart is racing.. your mind cannot function properly (proven) and that is when the harsh words come out. It's better to be silent, calm down, and then discuss the situation.

It amazes me that we have this amazing gift from God.. the Bible... and yet we don't bother to take it seriously. Do you believe the bible, every word? Then what are you doing? What am I doing!

Photo Credit: Tinaaa

Choosing to live the life

"So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 17For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.

18But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.

19The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other" Galations 5:16-25

"For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags." Proverbs 23:21

The passages above clearly state how we SHOULD be living our lives and the consequences for not doing so. The bible CLEARLY states how to live a happy life and how to avoid a hard life! So why is it that we CHOOSE to live the hard life???? Why are we so weak? Why to we choose to be blind? Why do we choose the tragedy over the fairy tale? We wasts so much time in sin, and avoiding the ways of the Spirit. Just think of what we could accomplish if we only listened and acted!

God help us all, help me to be wise in Your Word! Help me to see that life has a purpose and that it doesn't have to be so hard!

Challenge: Think of 10 things that you do that are sinful! Be honest! Then take time to think about each one and write your reasons for your actions. What on EARTH is more important to you then following the will of God. I hope you can't think of anything. Then think about what changes would occur if you were to stop that sin. What benefits or blessings do you think you would get? Do the blessings outweigh the consequences? I pray that you (and I) can overcome those sins, Lord help us! We are weak but in you we are strong!