I Just Couldn't Help Myself

"I just couldn't help myself."  That's how I once heard a young person describe himself at the time of the infraction (and to be quite honest I have heard it from more than just young people).  His only excuse was that he was unable to stop himself, unable to resist, more or less he was saying he was out of control.  And that was probably more true (of him and of us all to often) than we would like to admit.  But he (and we) are just as much to blame because he (and we) put himself in that situation.

You see, I have come to the understanding that what precedes a sin is of equal or greater importance than the sin itself, particularly when you look preventing it's re-occurrence.  Often we focus on the decision to do the deed but we neglect to see what brought us to where we were and stopping it at that point was nearly impossible.  Whether it be an aggressive act, an impure thought or deed, taking something that isn't yours (in all it's senses) or simply being unkind, impatient or unchristian, all of it is preceded by thoughts and decisions that put is in a place intellectually and emotionally where we are so predisposed to that sin that we can barely help ourselves.  We have set ourselves up.  So I would suggest that setting yourself up is what needs to be scrutinized and may be a sin in and of itself.  Certainly that is what Jesus was saying in Matthew 5:28, "But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart."    Jesus is saying that we are as responsible for what led us to sin as well as the sin itself.

So my question for you today is, are you setting yourself up to sin.  What you do, what you think, what you long for and the decisions you make are all part of the package.  Turn it all over to Jesus and ask Him to help you to think straight, feel correctly and act in such a way that you are setting yourself up to succeed spiritually and not to fail.

Coming in from the cold

It was cold outside and my dog wanted in.  So I went out to clean off his feet but all that I ended up doing was fighting with him.  What should have been a quick 60 second clean off ended up being a 5 minute wrestling match with 85 lbs of German Shepherd.  While dipping his paws into the warm water and toweling them off he spent the whole time struggling with me and trying to walk away.  I told him it would be a lot easier if he just cooperated but he didn't seem to listen.  I was very frustrated with him... until I realized I do the same thing with God.  We all do don't we?  We want to come in from the cold but we don't want to let Him do what He has to do to clean us up. We struggle with Him and we walk away.  And the sad part it is for our good, not His.  Maybe we just need to stop and say, "have thine own way, Lord."