SO LET ME GET THIS STRAIGHT.....CAN I REALLY OVERCOME SIN ??

3/6/2019

AS I CONTINUE TO GROW IN MY LIFE AND PURPOSE WITH GOD, I REFLECT OFTEN ON HOW MY LIFE IS CHANGING. I SPEND A LOT MORE FOCUS ON SEEKING TIME AND RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS NOW, AND A LOT LESS TIME FOCUSING ON ALL THE THINGS THAT I NEED TO WORK ON, AND ALL THE WEAKNESSES THAT I SEEMED TO FALL BACKWARDS INTO ALL THE TIME. I USED TO KEEP A LIST OF THE THINGS THAT I FELT I HAD TO FIX IN MY LIFE, AND DEVISE STRATEGIES TO OVERCOME MY DESIRES BY CHANGING MY BEHAVIOR….KIND OF LIKE BEING ON A DIET. LETS SEE….IF I WANT TO LOSE 20 POUNDS, THEN I NEED TO DRINK MORE WATER. NO MORE CAKE AND CHIPS, COOKIES AND ICE CREAM. SO I WOULD CLEAN OUT MY PANTRY, EAT MY PLAIN CHICKEN AND CARROTS, AND TRY TO FALL ASLEEP SO I WOULDN’T FEEL SO DESPERATELY HUNGRY! AFTER GRINDING FOR SEVERAL DAYS, MY BODY WOULD ADJUST, AND I WOULD FEEL KIND OF EMPTY, BUT STRANGELY I FELT A LITTLE BETTER. AND OVER A PERIOD OF TIME, I LOST THE WEIGHT. HALLELUJAH !! I COULDN’T WAIT FOR THE WEEKEND TO HAVE PIZZA AND BEER, AND CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM. BECAUSE I LOVE PIZZA, BEER AND ICE CREAM :)

WHAT I REALIZED IS THAT CHANGING YOUR BEHAVIOR DOESN’T CHANGE YOUR DESIRES. WHAT WE WANT, WE WANT, AND THE ONLY WAY TO REALLY CHANGE IS TO CHANGE OUR DESIRES. WE HAVE TO RADICALLY WANT TO DESIRE DIFFERENT THINGS, AND THERE IS NO WAY TO DO THAT WITHOUT GODS HELP. IT REQUIRES A CHANGE IN YOUR HEART, AND THAT IS A MUCH MORE DIFFICULT THING TO DO THAN JUST ADJUSTING OUR BEHAVIOR. BEHAVIOR ADJUSTMENTS DON’T LAST, AND THEY EVENTUALLY FAIL. DO YOU WANT TO KNOW WHY? THEY FAIL BECAUSE SIN COMES FROM THE INSIDE OF WHO WE ARE. IT IS THE INNER PART OF US THAT BATTLES AGAINST WHO GOD PURPOSED US TO BE. IT IS AT OUR CORE BEING, OUR ROOTS IF YOU WILL. SIN MANIFESTS IN OUR BEHAVIOR BECAUSE AT OUR CORE WE ONLY REALLY DO WHAT WE WANT TO DO…..EVEN WHEN IT GOES AGAINST GOD IT PRODUCES THE ENDLESS EFFORT OF THINKING THAT IF WE CLEAN UP WHAT IS ON THE OUTSIDE ( OUR BEHAVIOR ), THEN SURELY THE INSIDE ( OUR HEART ) WILL ALSO BECOME CLEAN. AND WE DO THIS BY SHEER WILLPOWER AND DETERMINATION. I CAN DO THIS. I CAN ELIMINATE MY TEMPTATIONS. I CAN OVERCOME MY DESIRES THAT TAKE ME IN THE WRONG DIRECTION…..BUT IT DOESN’T LAST.

IN MY LIFE, TWO KEY THINGS HAVE CHANGED. NUMBER ONE, I AM WORKING TO CHANGE MY DESIRES. MEN ARE INNATELY FOCUSED ON WHAT MY MENTOR DEREK CALLS “THE 3 G’S”. GOLD. GLORY. GIRLS. THESE ARE THE MAIN DRIVERS IN MOST MEN’S LIVES. HOW MUCH MONEY AM I MAKING TO LIVE THE LIFESTYLE I WANT; ARE PEOPLE REALIZING HOW SUCCESSFUL AND SMART I AM; HAVE I SUCCEEDED IN BEING WITH A WOMAN THAT I ENJOY BEING WITH, AND OTHER MEN ARE IMPRESSED WITH. WOW, I HAVE MADE IT. MY LIFE HAS CHECKED THE BOXES. SOUNDS KIND OF SHALLOW DOESN’T IT ? NUMBER TWO FOR ME WAS TO FIND THE FOURTH G THAT TRULY SET ME ON THE DIRECTION AND PATH THAT IS DEEP, AND LONG LASTING, AND HAS LONG TERM EFFECT ON WHO YOU ARE. GOD ! AND EVERYTHING HE BRINGS INTO YOUR LIFE.

WITH GOD AS YOUR FOCUS, YOU CAN TRULY CHANGE YOUR DESIRES. WHEN YOU SEEK HIM AND BECOME INTIMATE IN RELATIONSHIP, HE SEEPS INTO YOU, AND YOU BEGIN TO LOOK AND ACT MORE LIKE HIM AND YOUR HEART CHANGES. THE 3 G’S BECOME DIFFERENT. THEY BECOME WAY LESS IMPORTANT, AND THEY BECOME A LOT MORE PURE. I AM BLESSED TO BE ABLE TO CARE FOR MYSELF AND MY FAMILY, AND I AM RESPECTED BY MY FRIENDS FOR MY ETHICS AND HARD WORK AND CHARACTER, AND I AM WITH A WOMAN THAT I LOVE, AND WE MAKE EACH OTHER WHOLE AND COMPLETE. I AM SO BLESSED !

WE CAN ALL OVERCOME SIN AND BECOME WHO WE WANT TO BE. FIND A QUIET PLACE AND ASK GOD FOR HIS HELP. INVITE JESUS INTO YOUR LIFE AND ASK HIM TO HELP YOU CHANGE YOUR HEART AND YOUR DESIRES. YOUR DESIRES WILL CHANGE. YOUR BEHAVIORS WILL CHANGE. AND YOUR LIFE WILL CHANGE. AND WHEN YOU THINK IT WILL BE HARD, JUST REMIND YOURSELF OF WHAT JESUS WENT THROUGH FOR YOU ON THAT CROSS. HE TOOK AWAY YOUR PENALTY FOR SIN. HE GAVE YOU LIFE. HE GAVE YOU THE KEYS TO HIS KINGDOM! IT IS TIME TO EXAMINE YOUR DESIRES AND FIND A NEWNESS IN YOUR HEART! MAY YOU DESIRE A CHANGE OF HEART, AND MAY GOD PROVIDE IT. AMEN. JA

CREATE IN ME A CLEAN HEART , O GOD, AND RENEW A RIGHT SPIRIT WITHIN ME Psalm 51:10

If you want to really get deep into understanding how to “Rewire Your Heart’, i highly recommend picking up an amazing book of the same title written by David Bowden. It will change your life !