And when God says, “with perserverence”, He means it.
You will never be so attacked than when you do God’s Will. Your steadfast trust in God will be tested, both inside and outside your home the closer you draw to Him. You’ve never seen the troubles you will have until you lay aside your desires for His, beginning in your own soulish self. A great mourning will astonish you as your self anguishes over it’s lost indulgences; Such wailing! But, as you slowly starve those sinful desires, you will gain strength to run from that sin you so easily allowed before.
Some you will have ended for you, others will be yours to overcome.
It will be a struggle, know that, especially for those who came to Christ later in life; So much will need to be unlearned by those Believers. But God makes a way of escape from every enticement. And you will learn to take it each time the Spirit brings you back around to face your wrong wants;
It’s a process that will bear fruit with perserverence; YOU must not despair in unbelief, but must instead, in your failing, trust again in God’s Love to try again today.
I once knew a lady who was morbidly addicted to barbiturates, but overcame by being willing to rather die than continue to take them, because such addicted will die if they stop. But she didnt want to be addicted to anything anymore, so she trusted God would receive her if she died, as she fully expected to. Those who die denying their addicted body barbituates do so in agony, but Kathy was willing to be done with trusting drugs to live.
That is an extreme example but makes the point about perseverance well. What are you willing to suffer to obey God?
She did not die.
She did not even suffer.
She is alive today, working every day through the next thing God shows her to overcome.
That’s what persevering looks like.
And we all know what failure looks like, dont we? Try not drinking for a month, alchoholic. Go ahead and deny your lust on your own. You will fail. But to God failire to overcome for His children is an opportunity to try again to succeed. It took her some time to be willing to quit taking those drugs, being willing to die was her choice, but it was a hard call.
What are you holding on to? Is there anything that you would not be willing to give up?
Whatever struggles you have, everyone has them, speak truth to yourself and God, Christian. apologize where you failed. Pray for strength where you need it. Stop where you must – But keep perservering.
And please, don’t lie to yourself: You are no different than anyone else. Your mind may just have different addictions, but just because you want it doesn’t make it right.
Patrick Burwell, OnlyJesusSaves.org
P.s. I’ve written at length about addictions and lusts, the articles are there to read for your edification.
