I've been pondering for the last few days about how, very often in my life, I make my decisions based on my idol of the day. I've had three, I think, battling for supremacy. I really want to be young and strong-- and, in my vanity, pretty-- forever. But the fact is that each day, I am getting a little older, it's getting a little harder to stay strong, and as for pretty... well, "beauty is in the eye of the beholder". ;) However, if you've known me for long, you know that I will give up A LOT to keep my ration of sugar! I ate very little pasta, bread, butter, and potatoes last year to keep my dessert. In fact, it used to be my goal to do whatever I had to do so I could, "eat whatever I want". Which works okay when you have a teenaged metabolism, but after a couple babies... not so much. =/ Then there is the idol of money. One reason that Weight Watchers worked so well for me when I finally decided to join, was because after I spent the fee to join, you'd better bet that I was going to follow the diet plan and lose weight! So there you have it, pride, pleasure, and money...
And I wish that pleasing my God by taking care of my body was more of a motivation than my own vanity... Or that I simply enjoyed dessert, rather than worshiping it in overindulgence... Or that I REALLY believed that money is simply a tool to build Christ's church and spread his gospel... But my sinful heart betrays me at every turn. So I am waiting, with eager anticipation, for the day when God will FINALLY free me from my idols. And in the meantime, I'll fight.
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.
Ephesians 6:10-20
What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.
Romans 6:1-18
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