Sometimes it's not so easy to be creative. It's not that I lack the talent it's more like I lack the interest to make the time to do it. That being said the story I was in the process of writing was going to be about a time in my life where I decided to turn away from God. My reasoning behind this was Revelation 3:16
I had been struggling with habitual sin and couldn't (at least in my eyes) control it. I basically told God that if I couldn't be hot then I would have to choose cold and that maybe one day I would grow tired of my "habit". That was the worst decision I have ever made.
It was almost instantaneous that God lifted his hand from my life. He showed me just how dark I could actually be. I lost most of my self control even though before hand I thought I had very little. I began swearing. Up until that point in my life I had only said maybe two or three swear words, if that.
I was very afraid of the person I had become. Almost the same instant that I made that choice I began begging God to take me back but three months would pass before he would. All I had managed to do during that three months is acquire new struggles I would have to deal with when I came back to Christ.
The point is that no matter what we're going through, no matter how bad we think we are God is still with us. Those of you reading this that may have struggles with self control I have this to say. You do have self control. There is always a way out of any temptation or situation.
1 Corinthians 10:13 NKJV
No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is
faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are
able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you
may be able to bear it.
Romans 8:37 NKJV
Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Isaiah 54:17
No weapon formed against you shall prosper,
And every tongue which rises against you in judgment
You shall condemn.
This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD,
And their righteousness is from Me,”
Says the LORD.
So just because you feel trapped in a habitual sin don't do like I did and turn away. Instead seek God even harder. Look to his word and above all else pray. Get an accountability partner and talk with them regularly. It's not easy but you can do it.
Don't give yourself license to sin. If you mess up just ask God to forgive you and continue down your path to recovery. Don't wallow in it or think "I screwed up again so I might as well..." These things just keep you from where you need to be in Christ.
Develop a relationship with God and stay in the word. That's the best weapon we have against anything that comes against us. Don't be afraid to fast. Fasting is what helps us keep control over our flesh. If you find that you spend too much time or put too much heart into something than put it away for a while.
Develop good habits. Start with something simple like waking up at a certain time every morning. It's easier to do the harder things once you've mastered the little things. Minimize your idle time. If you have a lot of it do something constructive like writing a blog or journal.
That's most of the good advice I've heard throughout my years. I haven't mastered all of it yet but believe me it's good advice. One thing that was brought to my attention recently was the involvement of fear in our struggles with habitual sin.
2 Timothy 2:7
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
We are born into sin and therefore one could assume that we are also born into fear, but when we are born again we are no longer bound by such things. Once we accept Christ the old things are passed away and we have new life in him. The only thing that keeps us from walking in that is ourselves.
So what does fear have to do with it you ask? It's pretty simple. In my case it's the fear that I will never get to experience certain things or that the temptation won't go away if I don't give in. It could also be that I'm afraid that I won't experience the high that I feel when I do give in.
The truth is that God's presence is a better high than anything you could feel artificially. I've never done drugs or anything like that but I've heard people that have say the same thing. So why do some of us continuously give in to temptation when we know that sin separates us from God?
I say it's because we just don't see the exit sign shining brightly above the door. That way of escape that 1 Corinthians 10 was talking about. Perhaps it's just that we are too lazy to wait for God's supernatural high. I know in my situation I have to let God fill the void inside or I will fall flat on my face. When I let his love fill me I forget about the temptation.
I hope what I have shared has turned on the lights inside the exit signs in your life so that the next time you feel tempted you see how to escape and run to Jesus. There is truly not a greater friend or a greater love than he.
There's only one thing I can add to what I have written so far and that is to fill yourself with God.
Matthew 12:43-45
43 “When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. 44 Then he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. 45 Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation.”
Luke 11:24-26
24 “When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ 25 And when he comes, he finds it swept and put in order. 26 Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first.”
I know that habitual sin isn't exactly demon possession but it's the same principal. If you don't fill yourself with the word and fill your life with prayer and worship (A true relationship with Christ) then you will continue to struggle.
