Just one more cookie

I have a problem... it involves delicious food.  The problem is that as long as it is around I eat it.  Try as I may to eat in a more healthy fashion, if there are tasty treats to be found, soon there will not be.  There was a time in my life when I could get by eating whatever I wanted - however the clothes in my closet (that are apparently shrinking) are telling me to increase my intake of vegetables. 

This past week Alissa made some appreciation gifts that included some incredible desserts.  I have probably eaten my weight in these things... they are amazing.  My intuition tells me I need to stop (or maybe it's my belt), but I keep convincing myself that as soon as they're gone I'll start eating more healthy, but there always seems to be just one more cookie around.   I keep saying "This is the last time, then I'll be better."

We do this spiritually too.

There is that one area of our life that keeps coming back to haunt us.  We know it isn't healthy, we know that it has the potential to destroy us - but we trick ourselves into thinking that "this is the last time and then I'll stop for real."

I was talking to someone a few years back that had lost a lot of weight.  He said that it wasn't his particular diet that made him keep his weight off, but how he changed his mind set.  Instead of saying "this is the diet that I will use to lose weight," he said: "this is the way I eat now."  He simply changed the way he thought about eating.

The bible says similar things about how our life needs to change when we surrender to God.  Romans 12:2 states: "Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God."  It's not enough to try to stop sinning, we are transformed when our mind is renewed - when we look at things a different way, so we can allow God to transform us.

My father-in-law once pointed out that we should all just force ourselves to eat in a more healthy way, because an hour after you eat - you aren't still savoring that delicious fried chicken, you can no longer taste it.  (If you can you probably need to brush your teeth.)   For all your taste buds know, you have just completed a giant salad.  The only difference is that now you feel guilty.  Whenever I turn down junk food for carrots, I feel pretty good about myself.  How much greater do I feel when I can turn down the one more "cookie" in my life?

The bible says a lot of things about temptation - but the most important one for us is that God will never let you be tempted more than you are able to resist.  (Also know that it is not God tempting you, ever - see James 1:13.) Temptation is an opportunity, however, for God to see if you are willing to do what you say you will do.  The good news is that God is not a boss who is floating around with a clipboard, marking off all of the things you do wrong, or all the assignments you don't finish.  He is the
Dad sitting in the fan section of the bleachers yelling "you can make it" as you approach the next hurdle.  This doesn't mean that we can make all the mistakes we want and that God overlooks our sin - but it does mean that He is on your side.