If you have ever known someone that would ask forgiveness
(sometimes, even before the church), then turn around and do the
same thing again, you are not alone.
Though, that is not anything new to God. We do the same thing
to Him, all the time, “I am sorry for my sin, please forgive me,
and I will try to do better.” And, maybe we do try, really try.
Only, we fail, again.
We want to be a better person. However, when ‘we’ try to do the
improving, it is a form of works ~ as if we could actually
become good enough. None-the-less, as long as there is some
secret part in us that wants the temptation, it will come back
again and again.
Once we see the sin for the ugliness that it is (realizing sin
is what put Jesus on the cross) and we no longer want to
dishonor God with temptation even in our thoughts, all we have
to do is to ask God to remove it. God always answers the true
desires of our heart. We no longer need beg to be made good
enough and giving it to God makes Him the Divine Keeper. Satan
is no longer aloud to tempt us, in that way, ever again!
It is not hard to walk a pure life once we have made our heart
pure. But otherwise, we are destined to fail. Though, how we let
another’s sin affect us is a different matter.
—————–
Throughout the state of KY, people are not prepared for harsh
winter weather, as it happens too seldom for them to see the
reason in financing labor and equipment. So, being that one
cannot get up or down even the smallest icy hills, as truckers
well know, the state is pretty much at a stand still until snow
and ice melts; the good part being that winter thaws much
quicker than it does farther north.
For three years, my family and I lived in KY ~ where I worked
retail. If snow clouds even appeared, employees would
periodically go stand at the door (all day long), where they
could check to see if anything had changed in the weather. And,
at the first snow flake, employees verbally expressed worrying
about the weather throughout the remaining of the entire work
day. To those accustomed to more northern exposure, it was as if
these people had never seen snow before. And for all purposes,
it seemed so, as they had no clue how to drive in it.
Observing them caused me to realize how truly foolish it is to
let the weather effect our day. If it so much as rains, people
are depressed. Yet, how else will the grass, flowers, and trees
get water? Otherwise, there would be no beauty for us to enjoy
and the beautiful KY mountain sides would turn into mud slides
at winter’s thaw.
So, when it rains, I tell Satan he doesn’t have a right to ruin
my day. Instead of focusing on gloom, I thank God for watering
the flowers. When temperatures are frigid, I can be thankful for
the bugs we will not have to contend with come spring. And, when
really bad storms come, I still thank God for watering
everything that needs it, but ask Him to not terrorize us with
the weather. Wind calms, tornadoes vanish, lightening is
suddenly miles away, hail does not dent my car, white-outs pass,
power is restored, and children arrive home safely! I thank God
that the weather does not have the right to ruin my day!
—————–
No more than Satan has the right to ruin our day using the
weather; the same strength can bud amidst dissention. Many turn
grouchy, difficult, childish, fearful, foul mouthed, etc., as
they get older and some are just miserably unhappy at any age.
While it is impossible to control other people’s behavior for
any length of time, we also cannot change them. All we have the
power to do is to change ourselves. We can start by refusing to
stoop to their level, to not allow backbiting to come out of our
mouth.
With practice, it gets easier. Our outlook will gradually
change wherein we may stand there, thinking, “Are you done,
yet?” A little further down the road, we might think, “Don’t you
think God can hear you?” After a point, their behavior is seen
for the tantrum it is. Nope, Satan does not have the right to
ruin our day with such childish gestures. And, eventually, we
might barely notice their bad behavior at all. Denial? Maybe.
But, what does their bad example have to do with us? Except we
did something to provoke, it is not our problem ~ just theirs.
Sure, we care that others get right with God. But, as long as
our motive, in prayer, is for what we will get out of it, we
will be back to begging. The bottom line is, when we look to
people for our happiness, they will fail us. If we look to
people for our self-worth, Satan is sure to send a lie. And
though we want to feel loved, there is only one source of
absolute perfection. When in need of peace, no matter the
circumstance, we have a God that is greater than any storm.
© 2004 by Joyce C. Lock
This writing may be used in its entirety, with credits in tact,
for non-profit ministering purposes.
