The Hamster Wheel of Life

Do you ever feel like you are on the hamster wheel of life? You try and you try and you just can't overcome a bad habit? I can so relate to Paul in Romans 7:18 when he says,

But I need something more! For if I know the law but still can't keep it, and if the power of sin within me keeps sabotaging my best intentions, I obviously need help! I realize that I don't have what it takes. I can will it, but I can't do it. I decide to do good, but I don't really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. My decisions, such as they are, don't result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time.

I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do!

Have you ever felt frustrated about 'knowing what is the right thing to do, yet you still do the bad thing?'

Our life can spin out of control when we think we can sin without consequences and sin is usually outwardly appealing and initially enjoyable. Nothing says in the Bible that David's night spent with Bathsheba wasn't pleasurable? However, the consequences of his sin came after the initial gratification.

Galations 6:7 shares about the consequences of sin.

Don't be misled: No one makes a fool of God. What a person plants, he will harvest. The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others—ignoring God!—harvests a crop of weeds. All he'll have to show for his life is weeds! But the one who plants in response to God, letting God's Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life.

A recent bad habit that I have tried and tried on my own will power to overcome is poor nutritional habits and lack of exercise. It dawned on me that with the Holy Spirit dwelling in me, it is important for me to take can of my body, fueling it with proper nutrition and exercise. However the day I am going to make this dramatic change, I most of the time end up sub cumming to a tasty temptation or 'just don't' feel' like exercising. Then I over indulging on foods not good for me like donuts, candy, cake, cookies, and brownies. Can you tell what I have a weakness for? And I just continue on this hamster wheel of guilt and frustration.

The consequence of this sin has caused me to have a lower confidence about myself and often times will be reflected in my relationships with my husband, my daughters, family, or friends.

I have learned that I can't rely on my own 'will power' to overcome this sinful area of my life, but I need to rely on God's power in my life. I need to recognize and receive His love for me regardless of my past mistakes. I believe that Satan knows my area of weakness and works on me even harder to pull me down. However through the power, forgiveness, and strength of Christ, Satan can and will be over come. I can live in victory over sin!

1 John 1:9 states, 'If we claim that we're free of sin, we're only fooling ourselves. A claim like that is errant nonsense. On the other hand, if we admit our sins—make a clean breast of them—he won't let us down; he'll be true to himself. He'll forgive our sins and purge us of all wrongdoing.'

So TODAY I choose God over sin! I repent my sin and KNOW that the slate as been wiped clean. I can step off of the hamster wheel and onto a path already laid out for me, a path filled with abundance and blessings because I KNOW that....

The my LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youth will grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Isaiah 40: 28 - 32

Blessings,

Jill

My Views or God's Views?

I realized that as I have been studying the meaning of grace, I had a 'mixed view' of what the process of grace meant. The process of grace includes acceptance, repentance, sanctification, obedience, prayer and meditation. My mixed view coming from the world's interpretation and God's interpretation. Perhaps you may have felt the same or may be struck by a new thought?

Acceptance: When I hear the word acceptance I immediately think of being approved by and like by others. Or what can I do to earn acceptance by others? Look better, do more things for my kids, act a certain way, etc... Or I will be better accepted once I lose a few pounds, fix this problem in a relationship, get better at my job, etc...

God's view of acceptance is right here, right now! He loves me for who, what, and where I am TODAY! Acceptance to God is immediate. When God called some of His disciples in Matthew 4: 18 - 22, they had just finished fishing and God said lets go! They left their catch, their families, and I am sure they may be didn't stop to change clothes and they were off! God took them fish smelling and all!

Repentance: When I hear the word repentance, I immediately think of having done something really bad that I need to fall on my knees and beg for forgiveness. That to whom ever I am asking for forgiveness they will be upset and mad at me for what I have done.

In the study I am working on, Living In Grace the author said 'the heartache your sin inflicts is torture enough.' OUCH! My heart aches over little things and it aches daily.

God's view of repentance is that we must confess our sin over and over again. In doing so we can change our direction, abandon our agenda, and be rid of sinful, bad habits. Not only the BIG stuff, but the daily stuff, gossip, envy, fear, unforgiveness, etc...

Romans 2:4 says, 'God's kindness leads you toward repentance?'

Sanctification: Honestly, until just a year ago I really had no cool what sanctification meant!

God's view is that sanctification is a process, a daily, conscious effort on our part to become more and more like Him. How do we stay fit emotionally, mentally, and physically? We have to daily work at it! How do we grow to be like Christ. We have to daily connect with Him and His Word.

1 Thessalonians 5: 23 - 24 says, 'May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. When I think of through and through I vision it over and over and over again.

Obedience: My immediate reaction to obedience is to play by the rules. I also think of discipline. YUCK! I also think that I have the will power to do it myself and when that will power fails, I beat myself up over and over again.

Well, I was happy to read that learning to obey God's commands regardless of how you feel is one of the most difficult processes of grace. WHEW. That made me feel a little bit better! God always provides the support I need to be obedient, so I don't need to rely on my own will power!

John 15: 10 - 11 gives me so much inspiration to follow God's commands. "I've loved you the way my Father has loved me. Make yourselves at home in my love. If you keep my commands, you'll remain intimately at home in my love. That's what I've done—kept my Father's commands and made myself at home in his love.

ahhh. At home in my love. Doesn't that sound awesome!

Prayer and Meditation: I immediately think of silence, sitting on the floor with my legs crossed, eyes closed, and thumb and third finger touching. When I hear prayer, I also think of continuous.

Joshua 1: 7 - 8 shares 'Don't get off track, either left or right, so as to make sure you get to where you're going. And don't for a minute let the Word of God be out of mind. Ponder and meditate on it day and night, making sure you practice everything written in it. Then you'll get where you're going; then you'll succeed.'

I have come to learn that for me that prayer and meditation doesn't have to be a long, drawn out segment of time that has to be scheduled on my calendar but it can also be an ongoing communication through out the day. May be a passage I read in the morning, I am able to reflect on while waiting to pick up kids from school. A song on Christian radio inspires me to sing at the top of my lungs with praises to God. An upcoming difficult conversation is proceeded by a quick request for the right words to say. The silence as I fall asleep at night offers a great time to thank God for my blessings during the day, leaving me to fall asleep in Him arms.

Blessings,

Jill