What Do You Allow to Consume You?
Shipwreck victims, adrift on the ocean without water, have died after consuming salt water in desperation. Because salt water contains seven times more salt than the human body can digest, the body begins to demand more water to flush out the salt. So the more salt water one drinks, the thirstier one gets. The body finally succumbs, consumed by its own desires. Wise is the person who remembers the line from Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner”: “Water, water everywhere, nor any drop to drink.” And wise is the person making his way through this world who remembers the same thing with regard to the lusts and desires of the flesh. Just as the body has a natural desire for water, so the soul has natural desires as well: for intimacy, recognition, or achievement. But any one of those legitimate desires can lead to spiritual death if too much of the wrong thing is consumed in pursuit of gratification. That’s why Paul told Timothy to “flee also youthful lusts,” and why he told the Roman Christians to “make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts” (Romans 13:14). Meeting a legitimate need in an illegitimate way is a good way to be consumed by your own desires. - Dr. David Jeremiah Morning and Evening
We all do it. We either talk ourselves into a train of thought that leads to doing or not doing something, or someone else does.
We base those thoughts on many things. Will we be more accepted or rejected? Also known as peer pressure.
Will we find enjoyment in it, even if it's for a moment?
Will we give up something to attain it?
Will we convince ourselves of a lie concerning it?
When we trust our own way of thinking, we are going to stumble and fall.
The Bible is more than just history and prophecy. It's a training manual on right, Godly thinking.
I will be the first to say that I shouldn't trust me. I will lie to me and be very convincing. I will listen to people whom I shouldn't and be convinced of things that are not in accordance with the Word of God. Within the Scriptures it says "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight".
How do you trust in Christ if you haven't read what He said!?!
One of the worst excuses I have experienced from others after someone of authority finally intervened in something that happened to me was along the lines of we didn't mean anything by it, it was all in fun. Sorry, I must have missed that part about it being funny because I wasn't laughing even if you were. Indulging in what God calls sin will always get you in trouble.
We often excuse our behavior by saying it's not hurting anyone. Really? The Spirit of God doesn't count as an anyone? Your relationship with Jesus doesn't count as an anyone?
We indulge in sins and think nothing of what it does to ourselves and others.
Devoting too much time to things in this world and not considering the consequences of that will get us into trouble. Scripture says that God is a jealous God. He doesn't want us giving our love to others or other things. That amounts to idolatry.
As a culture we do it when work becomes all important. Families are sacrificed and God has a problem with that.
As a culture we do it when sports teams, movie franchises, fictional characters and their franchises etc. take our time and passion and remove it from its place with our relationship with Jesus Christ. You cannot rationally argue that you can do both! Go back to the Manual. God Himself says you cannot serve two masters.
We give into sins rather than fight. I am guilty of this as well. We have a Savior who says He overcame the world. We don't do anything to grab ahold of that victory for ourselves.
The Church is weakened by people who aren't trying to live out their salvation. In many venues its a few hours of entertainment and a bowl of sugary cereal and out into the world with you. It's not about coming to worship Christ Jesus. Jesus said that His Church would overwhelm the world. I don't see that happening. I see all of Paul's warnings and Christ's warnings happening in the Church. Wolves in sheep's clothing everywhere. False teachers teaching people to embrace the sins that the Bible teaches against.
It begins with you and I. We must obey God rather than man. We must live out our salvation. We must be as the Bible says, be in the world but not of the world.
Look up what God says is idolatry. Don't just only take Webster's Dictionarys definition for it.
Are you honest with you? If you can't be, then I honestly dare you to ask Jesus to show you if you are or aren't. As the Spirit to show you the real you. I guarantee you that it's life altering.
God, through the Holy Spirit, can go everywhere you cannot. Both in the physical world and the Spiritual world. He can remove the rose colored glasses to show you the truth. Pray that prayer. Watch what happens next.
He WILL honor that prayer because He longs for a right relationship with you.
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