About
10 years or so ago, a heath care practitioner whom I was seeing wanted
me to give up Cokes, because let's face it....they destroy your body. I
wasn't drinking but about 8 oz a day, and I told her that probably
wouldn't happen. She softly rebuked me, and I was pretty aggravated with
her. Less than 2 hours later, the Lord answered me.
"Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but whoever hates correction is stupid." ~Proverbs 12:1
Yes, the Lord just called me stupid. I laughed. Not disrespectfully, but because, boy, He didn't pull any punches.So, I quit drinking Cokes (except for rare occasions. I have been off of them completely for 3 years). I mean, you can't argue with God calling you stupid.
Is there something in your (and my) life that God is using someone or something to try to get your attention? Is there a habit or sin that He wants gone? Something that is destroying the temple of God? Whether that's physically, emotionally, or spiritually. Is He trying to get your attention to give up something or to start something? To slow down? To stay home more? To work less? Buy less? Give up junk food? Sugar? Smoking? A sinful intimate relationship? Temper tantrums if you don't get what you want? Are we just ignoring or getting aggravated at those around us who are directly or inadvertently showing us what God wants to make our lives better? More Holy. Is holding on to a food you love, or a habit you love, or the internet, or activities, or busyness, or an outright sin, or...... keeping you from God's best? And, yes, the things we put into our mouths, the choices we make with our time, can keep us from God's best. He loves us enough to say, "Stop this. Ignoring or hating correction is stupid. I want great things for you, and I'm trying to show you the way, but you are spoiled and don't want to work to have My best." We need to start paying closer attention to those nudges and those articles or comments that either convict us for half a second before we shut them down, or that we immediately scoff at and refuse to acknowledge because we don't want to give up our comforts or desires. Does it feel like you could never do it? Never stick to it or give it up? That it's too big for you? That's exactly where God will step in if we allow Him to. It may be a struggle, but He will help us when we are honoring Him with our lives.
" “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for Me?” ~Jeremiah 32:27
"Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?" ~1 Corinthians 6:19
Ask Him what you are doing or not doing (such as daily time with Him or eating healthy foods, etc.) that is hindering His best in your health, heart, and life~which hinders you giving your best for Him. He will show you, and He will give you the strength to do that thing. I'm working on it.
"Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but whoever hates correction is stupid." ~Proverbs 12:1
Yes, the Lord just called me stupid. I laughed. Not disrespectfully, but because, boy, He didn't pull any punches.So, I quit drinking Cokes (except for rare occasions. I have been off of them completely for 3 years). I mean, you can't argue with God calling you stupid.
Is there something in your (and my) life that God is using someone or something to try to get your attention? Is there a habit or sin that He wants gone? Something that is destroying the temple of God? Whether that's physically, emotionally, or spiritually. Is He trying to get your attention to give up something or to start something? To slow down? To stay home more? To work less? Buy less? Give up junk food? Sugar? Smoking? A sinful intimate relationship? Temper tantrums if you don't get what you want? Are we just ignoring or getting aggravated at those around us who are directly or inadvertently showing us what God wants to make our lives better? More Holy. Is holding on to a food you love, or a habit you love, or the internet, or activities, or busyness, or an outright sin, or...... keeping you from God's best? And, yes, the things we put into our mouths, the choices we make with our time, can keep us from God's best. He loves us enough to say, "Stop this. Ignoring or hating correction is stupid. I want great things for you, and I'm trying to show you the way, but you are spoiled and don't want to work to have My best." We need to start paying closer attention to those nudges and those articles or comments that either convict us for half a second before we shut them down, or that we immediately scoff at and refuse to acknowledge because we don't want to give up our comforts or desires. Does it feel like you could never do it? Never stick to it or give it up? That it's too big for you? That's exactly where God will step in if we allow Him to. It may be a struggle, but He will help us when we are honoring Him with our lives.
" “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for Me?” ~Jeremiah 32:27
"Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?" ~1 Corinthians 6:19
Ask Him what you are doing or not doing (such as daily time with Him or eating healthy foods, etc.) that is hindering His best in your health, heart, and life~which hinders you giving your best for Him. He will show you, and He will give you the strength to do that thing. I'm working on it.
