Why does something that seems so simple feel like it is impossible to accomplish? When we talk about the reality that there is work that we need to be doing so that we are making progress in our Christian life it seems simple enough.
Spend some quality time with God on a daily basis where we communicate with Him about our life, our problems, and our fears. Unfortunately, many have a Drive-Thru mentality for accomplishing this and eventually abandon it altogether. We pull up to McJesus’s drive-through, read off what we want, and expect when we get to the window, He will simply hand us that for which we have asked.
We view our relationship with God as we view vending machines. I will put in the minimum amount and pull the lever and hope that what I want will drop into my life that day. And when what we expected to receive does not drop into our lap, we become frustrated. It then becomes less likely that we will keep doing that which does not bring the results we want, and we begin to stop trying and move on…to our detriment.
That is completely the opposite of the way it needs to be. We want God to be there for us when His plan is that we are here for Him. He is not duty-bound to provide for us the life we want. We are His children, created and brought into existence by His Will with His Plan. Chosen by Him. Adopted by Him. Sealed with His Spirit and alive because He has a purpose for our lives. Instead of God being here to serve us…we are here to serve Him.
Therefore, we read in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20;
“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought for a price: therefore, glorify God in your body.”
This mindset that somehow God owes us, and He should be giving us what we want and doing for us what we desire has it completely backward. God has purchased us away from sin which allows us to escape the penalty for our sins. The price was the death of Jesus. So, He has bought us, and we are not our own.
Paul also says in Romans 8:12-13;
“So then, brothers and sisters, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— for if you are living in accord with the flesh, you are going to die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.”
If we really want to experience God’s deliverance from our sexual brokenness, we are going to have to do it His way and not our own. He is the Good Shepherd who wants to lead us into His will for our lives. He knows where the green pastures and still waters are for us. He has a will, a plan, a purpose for our lives and if we are going to experience it, we need to follow Him instead of expecting Him to be following us and blessing what we hope to accomplish with our lives.
Therefore, in order for us to be experiencing God’s good and perfect will for our lives, He needs to lead, and we need to follow. We need to recognize that He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and His will for our lives is the very best thing that can be happening in our lives.
Why do you think we have all fallen into sexual sin and perhaps have even become addicted to porn and sex? I guarantee you it is not because our Good Shepherd led us into this mess. We stopped listening to His voice and we stopped following His directions and will and have wandered off into a dark and dangerous world where there is a lion on the prowl seeking who he may devour.
Thankfully the solution to this mess in which we find ourselves is simple…but it is difficult. It is simple because it can be accomplished by allowing Christ to be the Lord of our lives. It is difficult because it takes daily consistency of surrendering our bodies daily to Him as living sacrifices, taking the time to worship Him and listen to Him in prayer and bible study.
We must stop seeing Him as Someone whom we hope is going to answer our self-centered prayers and waits on hold for us to call out to Him in our next crisis. And begin seeking Him and listening to Him because He is the Lord and we are the servants.
The problem is this is not accomplished by an occasional dropping in to get from Him our order of what we want for our life. It is approaching His Throne of Grace to receive from Him what we need in our time of need. It is being filled daily with His Spirit and walking in the Spirit constantly as we are going through our day. It is setting aside our desires and plans if and when they are not in accordance with His Will and Plan for us.
The most difficult part of it all is this cannot be accomplished by going to church once a week. It is the result of meeting with Him in a quiet place, alone, and surrendering yourself to Him, and His will…ON A DAILY BASIS! PLUS…being part of a team of other believers who can be there to help you when temptation comes. Other believers to whom you are accountable and receive support from. Believers who will help you bear your burdens and live the Christian life in community.
“This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.”
Are you doing that? Are you walking in the Light, telling the truth, and having fellowship/support from other believers? If not…guess what needs to happen in your life?