Which Voice?

I have been involved with a 12 week Team Beauty challenge for the last month.  I have enjoyed it so far.  It has kept me really accountable to my meal plan and exercise.  I am down six pounds so far and have a little over 6 pounds left before it's time to party!  

BUT today I messed up.  It started off good.  I had a great day with a shake for  breakfast and lunch.  I gave into temptation at a ladies fellowship at church tonight.  I tried to steer clear of the desserts, but I gave into a peanut butter "crack" brownie (Rice Krispy crack).  I also kept nibbling on an organic but not necessarily healthy pumpkin cobbler crumble of sorts.  I also had a few too many meatballs.  I posted my food to the accountability group, but I omitted a few details.  As I was driving home, my tummy started to feel the effects of my choices. Yes, they were my choices.  No one forced me to eat anything.  I chose to and I chose to go back.  Then it began, the thoughts.  The guilt.  The beating myself up for making the choices that I made.  But this time, I chose not to listen.  I told Satan to get out.  I prayed to God for forgiveness, and I let go of the guilt.  I nipped the thought in the bud before it had a chance to fester and eat away at me.  I decided right there that I would exercise when I got home.  I did put a video on and got a good ten minutes of exercise in.

This may not sound like a big deal, but for me this was a major victory.  I am learning to practice taking captive my thoughts and not allowing them to dictate my feelings and attitudes.  It is a work in progress, but I know that I will continue to grow.  No one is ever going to steal my joy.  I am in charge of what I think, and I choose to think on the things that are lovely, pure, and noble.  God's got a plan for you and I, we just need to make sure we listen to His voice and not the voice of the Enemy.

Watch. Wait. Listen. Learn.

Choose Your Consequences Carefully

I have noticed some beliefs floating around about God that are FALSE.  The idea that God is a loving God, and everyone should love everyone and accept them for "who they are no matter what they have done or are doing."  This is completely untrue!  You must love the sinner, but NOT the sin.  Yes, God is Love, but God is also just.  Because God is love and just, He can't stand sin.  Sin has to be paid for.  Sin is a debt that each person owes, and it must be paid.  The payment is death. His judgement will pour over all mankind in the near future.

Another thing people don't seem to understand is sin.  Most people have a sense of right and wrong. There are a few that believe everyone is good in the world, which I find nearly laughable in light of the events of this world and the evil reported each night on the evening news.  As for the majority with a knowledge of right and wrong, they know wrong is sin.  Simply put, sin is anything you think, say or do that breaks God's laws.  Yes, we could get into a debate as to what God's laws were and justify ourself out of nearly anything.  

Using the Bible as the source and standard for truth, God's laws are clearly found within its sacred pages.  This definition clearly addresses three areas where we sin.  It begins in our thoughts and moves out toward our speech and how we say things on to action, where we willfully take action against God's laws.  All of this can happen within seconds.  Sin is sin.  There is no sin bigger or smaller than another.  Let me say that again, Sin is sin.  There is no sin BIGGER or smaller than another. Sin is equal; the consequences are different.  Did you catch that?  Sin is equal; the consequences are different.  

Telling a lie and extramarital sex/homosexuality are sins.  One is not better or worse than the other.  The consequences are different.  A lie could result in other sin or if confessed immediately, the consequence is minimal such as parental discipline or such.  Extramarital sex could have a variety of consequences such as parenthood, STDs, emotional damage, strained relationships, and more.  Homosexuality has similar consequences such as STDs, emotional issues, broken relationships, social issues, and more.

There are many other examples of sin and its varying consequences, but there is good news.  The sin payment was paid for us.  God, out of His amazing love (that is where love comes in), sent His only Son, Jesus to die on a cruel cross as our sin payment.  Death was the required payment, so God arranged for us a alternate.  Because Jesus died on the cross, we are now given the choice to identify with Christ's payment or take the payment ourselves and live in separation from God forever in Hell.  It is your choice.  God is waiting.  

Churches are not to condone sin.  Their role in ministry to sinners is to love and assist them in making the neccessary changes from sin and towards Christ.  God is love and just, and so must our churches.