Free at Last!

Our pastor's sermon today was about the rich young ruler who loved money too much to give it up in favor of following Jesus. The money isn't evil, but loving it more than God is.

It's not about money for all of us. For some it's pride, for others it's alcohol, the list goes on. My big hangup is sweets. Cookies, cake, brownies, candy, pie, ice cream, chocolate, you name it. Sounds innocuous enough, but an unhealthy preoccupation of any kind is - well, unhealthy. It keeps me from being fully devoted to the things of God and makes me a slave to worldly desire.

"If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell." -Jesus (Matthew 5:30)

Once a year, during Lent, I give up sweets. Not to punish or make myself miserable. But to remind myself that God is all I need. That He is bigger and stronger in my heart than a stupid box of Thin Mints. (Duh!) I take the thing that is hardest for me to give up, and I give it up, to show myself and to show God that I love nothing more than him who created me and loved me enough to save me from myself. So, during Lent, into a closet goes that "right hand" in my life that causes me to sin.

But what about the other 325 days of the year? I allow that hand to come back out, and it always ends up causing me to sin again. That's why Jesus didn't say to put it away for a while, he said CUT IT OFF. He didn't say it would be easy. But what he gives in return is freedom. During those 40 days before Easter, I am free. My soul feels lighter. (My body feels lighter!) So this time the sweets-aholic is sobering up for good. Yes, I've said that before and failed. But living free from bondage is worth as many tries as it takes.

Comments

  1. Dianne HawkinsMarch 9, 2010 at 5:44 AM

    Sarah,

    Thank you for the reminder. I'll try to follow suit. You are a good role model for your mom. Remember all the times we walked down the candy isle at the store and you would say "no, Mom, just keep walking?" Love you, Mom

    ReplyDelete

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