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Romans 6:12-14

Dealing with misery

Treat or Torture?

The message this week has brought to me a lot of misery. It’s about not allowing sin to have dominion of our lives. So what happens? One of my hobbies went rampant and swallowed a whole day in complete self indulgence at the neglect of my family and work.

Now to be honest, I have to admit that it isn’t my hobby that went rampant, it was my own desire for pleasure and a desire  to escape my responsibilities. My heart used my hobby and made it terrible, desecrating and warping it into something that has hurt people that needed my attention, help and care.

Then guilt walks in and harasses me, kicking me when I’m down, making me feel the failure I am. While guilt was sinking in the boots fear comes along and starts yelling at me about the disaster I’ve brought upon myself, my family and my ministry. Fear woke me up in the middle of the night several times just to make sure I didn’t forget how much trouble I was in.

Enter Jesus who embraces me, there is no frown on his face, only concern. He tells me that he has changed everything so that now I can fight that which makes me miserable. I can now be an instrument in his hands to be used for good rather than evil. Why? Because I now live under the dominion of his grace.

It is a scary thought realising that what you find pleasing can in fact be the source of your misery. Whether you over indulge or go cold turkey your desire gone mad hurts you, just in a different way. For me escape only made the pressure worse. But saying no makes me miserable because I want to indulge in my hobby… bah.

Christ has made it so that our hobby gone mad isn’t even on our radar. Whether we get to do it or not won’t matter because we have something better to do. To love God and love people is the only real way we will deal with misery. the Rev

Romans 6:12-14 Live under Grace Part 4

Bible Reading: Psalm 51

Exercises

• Describe how you will go about fighting yourself, be specific (Rom 6:12).

• Describe in what way you will use yourself for God, be specific (Rom 6:13).

• Describe how you will encourage yourself (Rom 6:14).

• Share how you will help someone this week do all of the above. 

Prayer: Heavenly Father forgive me for allowing my desires to go mad and take over my life so that I’ve been living mostly to please myself. Help me to fight the habits I’ve formed so that you can use me as your instrument and encourage me.  Amen