The hardest part has been biblical accountability. You see it is very easy to pull the wool over the eyes of those around you, and have them think you are a wonderful Christian when in reality you are living a live outside of its creeds. That’s what kind of life I was living for a long time before December 2, 2009. My struggle is knowing that God sees all, and when I purposely go against his word he is watching me, and inside I know it is breaking his heart.
The bible says the devil’s sole purpose on earth is to continuously bombard us with trails, tribulations, temptations, and so on in an effort to cause us to turn back to our old ways, question our beliefs, and in turn become his again. The hard part is he never sleeps, grows tired, and has millenniums of experience through trail and testing on how to stop our walk with God, and knows more about us then we know about ourselves.
1 Peter 5:8 sums this up best, “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” Throughout this year I have had my fair shake of temptations and battles that some may find trivial, but to me they seemed like warfare. One was smoking. I came across a scripture in 1 Corinthians that kind of put me in a battle between my hearts desires and what I knew what was right.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20: 19Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.
My body does not belong to me? I am not my own? What does this mean? As I thought back to my prior readings I would think about the person that brought me to God, Jesus Christ. He had given his life in sacrifice so we all could be washed clean from the sin of our ancestors, our sins, and so we could have that one on one relationship with God. This would be the sacrifice of all sacrifices and would be for all of mankind both past present and future.
That sacrifice also sealed us as his children and they very life we have was given to us by God, therefore my body isn’t mine its God’s. By smoking I knew I was slowly destroying it, I could feel the effects of smoking with each puff I took. But I liked to smoke, it was a big part of my life and that’s where my battle stirred. Once again I had biblical accountability, I could fake out others into believing I had quit but I knew God knew the truth. My main concern was my relationship with God, and how could our relationship grow if I was willfully destroying the very body he blessed me with, a body he watched his son Jesus endure torture for?
You see I was learning that my relationship with God had to be pure if I wanted this relationship to grow. I couldn’t pick and choose what I wanted to follow, or try to customize my walk with God according to what fit and what didn’t and that’s hard. It has been a hard year because as I continued my bible reading I would learn that certain lifestyles I was living or partaking of interfered with my walk with God, and with each one I struggled because I knew I had to either change it, or in some cases remove it all together.
But none of these changes or choices no matter how hard are regrettable to me, they have only made my life better in the long run, or helped me become a better person. Sure I have received some ridicule from some friends and family. I have lost some friendships, and at times I feel as if I don’t quite fit in certain circumstances, but the bible tells us that this is something that will happen. My number one concern in this life is my relationship with God. I look at him as my literal father in Heaven who has been there for me and my family more then words could ever explain.
I know some people think that’s a bunch of squat, and I wish I could allow people to experience what I have since I have decided to give God my all. It is an experience no one will ever understand until they themselves go through it. I can honestly say I now feel like I understand life and have found a purpose and I challenge anyone reading this to pick up a bible and start with Mathew and give God a chance. Listen to what you read and try to implement the scriptures into your life and you come across them.
I guarantee by the time you hit Revelation your life will be 180 degree’s different then what it was when you started. Your eyes will have a new purpose and life will mean so much more then it did before. For those reading this that may already be on their journey with God I encourage you to never give up your walk and always put God first in everything you do. Husbands lean on God for an example of how to be a humble and loving leader, parents never tire of training up your children according to God’s word so they to will raise their children accordingly, neighbors always look for an opportunity to let God shine through your loving acts towards one another so people can see how much God loves them through you.
Thanks for reading my blog and please let me know your thoughts, or questions
