This, however, wasn't my original plan for tonight. I spent most of the day cleaning my bedroom and packing by myself. I've been hungry for conversation; didn't have to be anything deep and philosophical, either. Just good conversation. I did get to chat with my friend in China via Skype. That was nice, but she had to cut our conversation short because her father was calling her.
Once she left, my friend who had been sitting at the kitchen table chowing down on some chips and guacamole from Chipotle (LOL), also moved somewhat hurriedly from the table and waved as she headed for the stairs. I ask if she was going to bed, thinking to myself "so soon," but then I realized she had something important to do. So her early departure made sense. But, within a few moments I realized it was just me and the dog downstairs with the TV playing in the background. I was sitting at the table alone wondering what to do next. Before I knew it, I started feeling lonely. Knowing that was just the enemy trying to creep in (he's been riding my back BIG TIME these days) I immediately began talking to the Lord. Little did I know He was in the mood to talk, too! lol
After flipping through the TV channels for a minute, I got in bed and continued reading "The Grace Awakening," by Chuck Swindoll. This is such an awesome book. The portion where I last left off Swindoll was digging into Romans 6. He calls this chapter the Christians "Emancipation Proclamation," in which we are not only told how we have been set free (knowing that our old self was crucified with Christ, verse 6), given the declaration that we ARE free (we are dead to sin, but alive in Christ, verse 11), and informed how to walk in this new freedom (presenting ourselves as alive from the dead and instruments of righteousness instead of instruments of unrighteousness through sinning, verses 12-13).
Pondering over Paul's question in Romans 6:2, "How shall we who died to sin still live in it?", Swindoll wrote:
"We have been programmed to think, I know I am going to sin, to fail ... to fall short today. Since this is true I need to be ready to find cleansing. You have not been programmed to yield unto God as those who have power over sin.
"How much better to begin each day thinking victory, no defeat: to awake to grace, not shame; to encounter each temptation with thoughts like, Jesus, You are my Lord and Savior. I am Your child -- liberated and depending on Your power. Therefore, Christ, this is Your day, to be lived for Your glory. Work though my eyes, my mouth, and though my thoughts and actions to carry out Your victory. And, Lord, do that all day long. When I face temptations, I will present myself to You and claim the strength You give to handle it. Sin has no authority over me any longer."
I have had many moments like this just in the last 48 hours, where the enemy tempted me to react to certain situations in a manner contrary to Christ. Tonight was no different and when I noticed, I immediately gave it to God. If I had not, I would have made myself miserable for no good reason!! I would have made decisions that could have sounded logical, but in the heart of Christ could have been deadly. I know this may seem like something so small, but it's the little foxes that destroy the vines. And, I know if I continue to hand over even the "small" temptations in my life, when "bigger" temptations arise I'll be so acclimated to giving my issues to Him, I won't even think twice about it. I will just say "Here you go, Lord. Do yo thang!" (Yes, I'd say it exactly like that. I've done it before! lol)
That kind of "stinkin' thinkin'" is so part of the old me...and I don't want it anymore. It's dead weight that my Papa says I don't have to carry around if I don't want to! AND I DON'T WANT TO ANYMORE!! This all brought me back to Easter. Yeah, I know Easter was a month ago. But, as I said in previous posts, this is no longer just a day on the calendar that I get all dressed up for, sing a few songs about Christ rising from the grave. It's a lifestyle that is to be lived every day!
I'm only a third of the way through "The Grace Awakening." It truly isn't one of those quick reads. I find God challenging me after reading just two or three paragraphs in one chapter. Swindoll does continue in chapter 6 of his book talking about this liberty we have in Christ Jesus and it got me thinking: if Christ died ONCE FOR ALL, are we really born as slaves of sin? Yes we are born into a sinful world all on account of the fall of the first "man" (we are born with a sin nature) BUT because Christ defeated sin (it's done...finished...there's no physical action we can perform to defeat sin and save ourselves) could we possibly consider ourselves BORN FREE but BOUND TO SIN in ignorance of that fact that we are indeed free? That's just a thought I had while reading, which then made me wonder "could this be a basis for importance of diligent teachers of the Word? To help those who are indeed free know that they are free and how to walk in that freedom?"
Again...just my thoughts! What thinheth ye?
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