OK - I must confess something that is extremely difficult for me to admit. For the last few months, I have TOTALLY disregarded ALL of the changes that I had put into place to achieve a weight loss that not only made me personally happy but also positively impacted my health. I stopped counting calories, I stopped exercising ... I slipped back into my OLD habits.
Today's scripture assures us that Jesus Christ remains the SAME yesterday, today, and FOREVER! BUT ... what about us? Why is it so easy to fall off of the wagon of doing what is in God's plan for our lives?
God knew that we would be tempted to return to the comfortable or "easy" way of doing things .. sleeping in on Sunday mornings rather than going to Church, praying and reading our Bibles less, refusing to forgive those who offended us, failing to make amends to those who we hurt.
How do I know that God had this concern for our lives? The answer can be found in His Word. 1 Corinthians 10:12-13 warns, "So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall!" Likewise, Hebrews 2:1 provides this caution, "We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away."
My challenge to you this morning if you have allowed circumstances to pull you away from pursuing a deeper relationship with God
is to just get back on the wagon. I know that I will never get back to the weight that I desire unless I make changes in my life that will get me there. Similarly, we cannot fulfill our purposes in life if we do not spend time in prayer, reading His Word, and responding to His Voice. THE CHOICE is ours to make --- no one else can make it for us!
Dear Lord, Thank You for Your steadfastness. I am so grateful to know that You will never change ... that You will never stop loving me ... AND that You will ALWAYS be there for me. Draw me back to You when I am drifting away. Help me to consistently live my life in the manner in which You would be pleased. I thank You, my Jesus, for dying for me. I believe that You are Lord and that God raised You from the grave so that I can have eternal life.Reflection: Are there areas in your life in which you are not being obedient to Him? Do you need to make THE CHOICE to get up, dust yourself off, and get back on track in order to live your life according to His Will rather than your own? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
****I once shared a powerful poem by Max Lucado entitled
The Choice. I sincerely believe that we would NEVER fall off of the wagon again (in any area of our life) if we would make the daily choices highlighted below.
The Choice
By: Max Lucado
IT'S QUIET. It's early. My coffee is hot. The sky is still black. The world is still asleep. The day is coming.
In a few moments the day will arrive. It will roar down the track with the rising of the sun. The stillness of the dawn will be exchanged for the noise of the day. The calm of solitude will be replaced by the pounding pace of the human race. The refuge of the early morning will be invaded by decisions to be made and deadlines to be met.
For the next twelve hours I will be exposed to the day's demands. It is now that I must make a choice. Because of Calvary, I'm free to choose. And so I choose.
I choose love . . .
No occasion justifies hatred; no injustice warrants bitterness. I choose love. Today I will love God and what God loves.
I choose joy . . .
I will invite my God to be the God of circumstance. I will refuse the temptation to be cynical . . . the tool of the lazy thinker. I will refuse to see people as anything less than human beings, created by God. I will refuse to see any problem as anything less than an opportunity to see God.
I choose peace . . .
I will live forgiven. I will forgive so that I may live.
I choose patience . . .
I will overlook the inconveniences of the world. Instead of cursing the one who takes my place, I'll invite him to do so. Rather than complain that the wait is too long, I will thank God for a moment to pray. Instead of clinching my fist at new assignments, I will face them with joy and courage.
I choose kindness . . .
I will be kind to the poor, for they are alone. Kind to the rich, for they are afraid. And kind to the unkind, for such is how God has treated me.
I choose goodness . . .
I will go without a dollar before I take a dishonest one. I will be overlooked before I will boast. I will confess before I will accuse.
I choose faithfulness . . .
Today I will keep my promises. My debtors will not regret their trust. My associates will not question my word. My wife will not question my love. And my children will never fear that their father will not come home.
I choose gentleness . . .
Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle. If I raise my voice may it be only in praise. If I clench my fist, may it be only in prayer. If I make a demand, may it be only of myself.
I choose self-control . . .
I am a spiritual being. After this body is dead, my spirit will soar. I refuse to let what will rot, rule the eternal. I choose self-control. I will be drunk only by joy. I will be impassioned only by my faith. I will be influenced only by God. I will be taught only by Christ.
Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. To these I commit my day. If I succeed, I will give thanks. If I fail, I will seek His grace. And then, when this day is done, I will place my head on my pillow and rest.
