-Choice-

Power. God has given me the power right now (in this moment of time) to make a choice. Free will is a tricky thing, but I think every Christian knows that we have been given a certain amount of “say” in what happens in our lives (this is proven by God’s Middle Knowledge) and God has given me a choice through another human being. A notification just came up on my smart phone that informs me of a means of scratching an “ich” that my cursed flesh longs for. As I sit here and listen to my father preach on God and Who He is, I realize that no matter what choice I make, I will just end up where God wants me to be. Now, I can take the reasonable path and choose to lean on God NOW, or I can push it off until LATER and make the struggle all that more difficult. As a Christian I know that I am destined for Heaven, so why on this freaking Earth would I fight my destiny by denying who I am? I am an adopted daughter to the Creator of EVERYTHING!!

“In love, He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.”

-Ephesians 1:5-6

 I have an inheritance awaiting me in Heaven. I have purpose, I have hope, I know what I need to do to get the most out of this life (for the next). Why fight that? Why yield to a moments lust when it just hinders you on your journey? It should be a no brainer, but wow does our flesh paint a pretty picture when it comes to lust. It promises complete satisfaction if I just give in, it promises lasting satisfaction, it promises to scratch that ich. Every time it lies, every time I give in, the more frustrated I become. When I choose to believe my sinful inclinations, I am truly as dumb as a bird smashing into a window. There is a knowledge deep down inside of me that rests in my very soul, no fleshly lust can compare or effect how it defines me. That is my identity. Emma Lambert was created and born to serve her God and Savior. This is so powerful a knowledge that no emotion can rid me off it.

So, is it really a choice in the end?

“Therefore, to him who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, unto him it is sin.”

-James 4:17

 Or is it me just sitting on the edge of the cliff flirting with jumping off? Let’s say I do leap forward to jump, I won’t get far.

“The steps of a man are established by the Lord, and He delights in his way. When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong, because the Lord is the One who holds his hand.”

-Psalm 37:23-24

But the desire to leap, it is so deep inside me that I sometimes believe it is who I really am. How does one fight something so strong that it lies deep in our bodies like a cancer?

“Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts you double-minded. Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.”

-James 4:7-10

If I train my mind to view my fleshly lusts as nearly unstoppable then I can promise you that the battle was lost before it even began. If I train my mind to remember who God is and what He is to me then the battle (painful though it will be) will end in glory. To tell myself that today is gonna be a long and tiresome night at work is to make it a long and tiresome night at work. But to tell myself that tonight is going to be productive and fun is to set my mind to making it so. A thought (spoken or unspoken) is a mighty thing. It can prepare us for battle or it can hinder us more than a bullet to the knee cap.