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Of the body and of the spirit

 After going on a special diet for my health four or five years ago, I lost a lot of weight. Too much actually! People thought I was sick. As I gradually adjusted my eating, I put weight on until I reached a healthy weight for my height and age. I have managed to maintain this weight for these last few years but I do still have to watch what I eat as I put weight on easily.

Sunday is my treat day. It is my day for rest and relaxation and to eat what I feel like. However, I find that one treat is never enough. So I have some yummy home baking (courtesy of my husband), followed usually by a chocolate bar, then a little later I am looking for something else, maybe some ice-cream and so it goes on. I manage to eat an enormous amount of ‘rubbish’ during that one afternoon a week.

So just one little treat and I have lost all control. Thank goodness I manage to find the discipline the following day to get back on my healthy eating plan.

Sin is like that! We just need to let one little sinful thought to flower into sinful words or actions and it so often leads to another and another. The flesh is so strong and it is so easy, sometimes without even thinking about it, to give in to it.

So often I have thought after the fact, why did I not think before speaking? I get so mad with myself. I was thinking today about crucifying the flesh – why is it so hard? I guess anything worthwhile is hard. It is such a slow process and it would be so easy to decide ‘I just can’t do it anymore’ in the same way that I could decide I can’t stick to a healthy eating plan any more. The good news is that when I look back, I see the difference between then and now; both physically and spiritually.

Even better is that God is so patient with us. Philippians 1:6 says ‘He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus’. When we receive Jesus as our Saviour, God forgave our sins and continues to forgive our sins as we repent and seek Him. Then He graciously chooses to remember our sins no more. Because of His deep love for us He sends us the Holy Spirit to continue to work a process of sanctification in us.

Oh boy! Sometimes that process seems so slow. Let me encourage you all, EVERYONE struggles with sin, but ‘God is faithful and just to forgive our sin and cleanse us of all unrighteousness’ (1 John 1:9)

So rejoice! The process will continue for the rest of our lives, but then we will live in eternity with Him. It’s worth it!

God bless you friends.

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