I was thinking how easy it is to internally judge those who struggle with drugs when in reality any sin is quite easily comparable to drugs.  When I see someone doing a severe drug like crack or crystal meth, it is easy to readily see that they are hurting themselves.  For the most part I would love to be able to impart to them a bit of perspective so that they can see that what may feel good for a few minutes or hours is doing terrible damage to their bodies, souls and spirits.  I want to point out that the trade off is a very bad one and is robbing them of the untold riches that life has to offer them.  Of course, such information is probably not news to them and almost certainly has been recognized by them in one form or another. (note: by “them” I merely mean a drug addict).  But at the end of the day, until a person has a revelation of what they are passing up for the short term “gain” that a drug offers them, it is unlikely that they are ever going to change.  They have a belief problem.

But what’s my excuse?  What about addiction to sin?  Or just sin in general?  I can tell you that virtually the same things are true about sin albeit on a slightly longer timeframe and yet I persist to choose my own way in certain areas.  Why is that?  Is it an addiction problem?  Perhaps.  Is it a problem with impulse control?  Maybe.  But might it be mostly a belief problem?  Perhaps I don’t really believe that God really has my best interest in mind.  Perhaps I think that in spite of Him creating me, I have figured out some strange loophole where I can achieve greater “joy” through a sin than through obedience.  Put that way, it looks quite silly doesn’t it?  I mean why would I want to tell God that, in effect, He is wrong?  How utterly absurd and ultimately arrogant for me to suggest such a think to the Creator of the universe.

My goal is that I would start to trust God more and walk in obedience out of an overflow of love for Him and trust that He has my best interest in mind even when the short term “gain” of sin shines so brightly compared to the more ephemeral gain of obedience.  It’s funny how all of the people that inspire me the most paid a price for their character and for godliness.  The result is that they walk in a greater measure of the fruit of the Spirit that I so desperately desire to be in my life (for the uninitiated the fruit of the Spirit are listed in Galatians chapter 5 and are Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self Control).  I want to remember to try it God’s way….but not in a “white knuckle” approach to not sinning, but in a quiet and confident belief that God really does have my best interest in mind and that His ways are best for a myriad of reasons; some that I can see and some that I can not see. Choice question examination versus assignment http://writemyessay4me.org essay