…you may be partakers of the divine nature… —2 Peter
1:4
{CHAMBERS} “We
are made “partakers of the divine nature,” receiving and sharing God’s own
nature through His promises. Then we have to work that divine nature into our
human nature by developing godly habits. […] Does it really matter that our
circumstances are difficult? Why shouldn’t they be! If we give way to self-pity
and indulge in the luxury of misery, we remove God’s riches from our lives and
hinder others from entering into His provision. No sin is worse than the sin of
self-pity, because it removes God from the throne of our lives, replacing Him
with our own self-interests. It causes us to open our mouths only to complain,
and we simply become spiritual sponges— always absorbing, never giving, and
never being satisfied. And there is nothing lovely or generous about our
lives.[…] If the majesty, grace, and power of God are not being exhibited in
us, God holds us responsible. “God is able to make all grace abound toward you,
that you…may have an abundance…” (2 Corinthians 9:8)— then learn to lavish the
grace of God on others, generously giving of yourself. Be marked and identified
with God’s nature, and His blessing will flow through you all the time.”
{ELGIN} Martie and I had decided that we needed to
change our eating habits. We saw that
the course we were on was detrimental to our health and was sure to lead to
even more problems the older we get. So,
we started on a new path. We are having
to develop new eating habits. This has caused
us to abandon foods that taste good but are actually contributing to the
problem. We eat less no longer in
excess. It requires discipline on our
part and accountability with others. Other
people who encourage us as we travel along this new path. The thing is, these new habits are not for a
season. We are not looking to the day
when our weight and health are in check and we can get back to the food we
really want in the quantities that will make our tummies full. I share that because
it is analogous to our Christian journey.
There are certain aspects of our old nature that we cling to. We have a hard time giving them up, like taco
chips or chocolate cake. They provide
some form of comfort to our psyche. But
God has called us out of that life to a new life. We are to practice new spiritual health
habits that promote our transformation into the image of Christ. Habits that promote spiritual health that
strengthens our faith and magnifies our witness to the world. We are in a place, physically, that demands
change. But there is a temptation not to
change. To continue to do what we know
we should not because our bodies lust for certain things and we find comfort in
them. In Romans 7:14-19 “We know that the law is spiritual; but I am
unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I
do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate
I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is
good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living
in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my
sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it
out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to
do—this I keep on doing.”
I know so many people who are slaves to food. They have to have it. They know it’s not good for them and yet they
yield to it. That is what Paul was
saying about sin. So he asks “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is
subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ
our Lord!” Our godly habits are
founded in faith in Jesus. In our
weakness His strength is made perfect. But
we must yield to Him. The greatest godly
habit. The foundation from which all
other right habits spring is this … laying your life down .. surrendering to
the Lordship of Jesus. You are in a spiritual battle, the old nature against the
new. Make it a habit to put on the full
armor of God and you will stand against temptation and the hardship that it
brings.
No comments:
Post a Comment