TOSS IT OUT!

"Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?" Galatians 5:7

     That is a good question, who is hindering me? It would be easy to blame others for holding me back. Very easy. But it would not be the whole truth. Who is holding me back? Me. I am holding myself back. I am my worst enemy. It is the battle between spirit and flesh, the one working contrary to the other. I never can understand my actions. I know the truth, yet I do the opposite. In my flesh I react based on my emotions. One day I am angry so I react to that feeling and yell at anyone who is near me. Did they do anything to me? No. It's me not them that is the problem. Over time I can grow bitter towards someone because I don't like the way they treat me. I'm not saying they are not wrong, but it's a waste of my time and energy to keep dwelling on what bothers me about that person. One day I can be anxious and tense because my plans for a relaxing weekend have fallen apart. What difference does it make! I should be thankful that I woke up today healthy. If God permits it I will have more days to come home in order to relax and do what I please. I sometimes laugh because when I look at how I act when things are not the way I want them to be I am basically throwing a tantrum with my anger, annoyance, bitterness, being tense, etc. How old am I? When am I going to grow up?!

     It's a hard reality to realize that I am my own problem, but as I said I like to put the blame on others. Why should I dump all of my garbage on someone else? If I am carrying around junk it's my job to TOSS IT OUT! That's what I want to discuss, I want to learn to throw my garbage in the trash and not at someone else. "For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I" (Romans 7:15). This verse seems like a riddle, but what Paul is saying here if you read carefully is that he does not understand what he does. The reason is because the things that he desires to do he doesn't, but the actions he hates that is what he does. I can relate on so many levels. As I said I know the truth of God's Word, but the trouble is I give in to my flesh way too much (I do that which I hate). It doesn't make a lick of sense.

     So what am I to do? "For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live" (Romans 8:13). I mortify, or put to death my flesh. That sounds insane, I know. The Bible is not saying to literally put the flesh to death but the works of the flesh. So I have to ask myself another question, what are the works of the flesh? Galatians 5:19-21 lists them.

     These are things that we do when we react to our human emotions. All of us are capable of each one of these actions listed in Galatians. When I read this I could be discouraged, but I won't be. I will not allow this to overwhelm me and make me think that everything I do is wrong because the Spirit of God will intervene. Let's me be real for a moment. When it's just me living life based on my own standards than I am living to please my flesh. However, if I desire to be different than the world I cannot do it on my own abilities. You may not agree but it does not make it any less true. I live in reality not how I think things should be. So what do I need? Who can help me change? The Holy Spirit of God. Yes, there are many works of the flesh and every single one of them is negative. It's nothing but waste that I am carrying around. That's not how I want to live. I could try to be good on my own but I won't get very far. No matter how good I try to be I am reminded above that there are still negativity present within me. So I will make a decision. I choose to stand still and allow God to take over. With the Holy Spirit of God dwelling in me, acting on my part the works of are the Spirit not the flesh. My actions begin to change; (Galatians 5:22-23)

Love
Joy
Peace
Long-suffering
Gentleness
Goodness
Temperance
Faith
Meekness

     I am not saying that all of a sudden I am perfect. My whole life is a training ground. God is tossing out everything that is not meant to be there in the first place. Oh, you got some anger issues. God picks it up. Whoosh! Tosses it in the trash where it belongs. You got a drinking problem? Whoosh! You don't need that. You think you have the authority to judge this person based on your own understanding? Whoosh! You are wasting your time with that. Why are you hanging around these "friends" when all they do is use you? Whoosh!  Walk away, they are not your problem. Why are you picking yourself apart? Whoosh!  Lift up your head I don't make mistakes. Why are putting so much pressure on yourself? Whoosh!  I made your future secure just trust Me. Why are you anxious? Whoosh! I have told you to fear not for I am with you. God is tossing out all the junk. I don't need it. I'm happier without all of the nonsense that I give into everyday. I choose to walk a different path than this. With the help of God, I can.

     What is the outcome of all of this? "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live: yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me" (Galatians 2:20). I I did not die to self than Christ died for nothing. I need to die too. So when I am angry I can pray for God to help me. His Holy Spirit will intervene and will always stay with the Word. Before, I would give in to that anger that I felt, but now if I give in to the Spirit of God then my attitude will change; for the Word says, "be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you" (Ephesians 4:32). What if I was tempted to lie because I did not want someone to know what I did or how I truly may feel about something? I would be tempted to lie because I don't want to hurt them or be embarrassed. In my own ability I would lie being in the moment, but with the Spirit I would be reminded of Ephesians 4:25 (also Zechariah 8:16) and it says, "wherefore put away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor…"  Its not only my attitude but the words that I speak that is important as well. When I am upset I end up having no filter and saying things that I don't necessarily mean. The words that come out of my mouth are hurtful.  Let the Spirit of God take control because He always stays with the Word. Then over time you no longer will be the person that is always in some kind of mood, but a new creature in Christ that is loving and gentle.

Be encouraged today! Sometimes we don't understand why people walk away or why certain things happen. We think it's bad but really it's God tossing out everything that you do not need in your life. Live the life God has given you and be free from the things that are weighing you down. God's got this, just trust Him. God Bless You.