Vigilance
As many of you know I have been strugling with several issues in my life as I hit the midpoint. Many of you celebrated with me last fall as I was able to tackle the weight issue and lost over fourty (40) pounds. It was a great achievemet for me and I noticed a significant life improvement in the way I feel.
However during the transition of my second issue (estranged spouse) I began to slack on the workouts and turned back to my twinkie addiction! In a little over four months, 25 of those fourty have crept back. It was amazing, one morning I have this tone smooth stomach and then wham, the gut pops back out. What happen? easy answer . . . lack of vigilance.
It is amazing. Fat never just pops out, it comes in small subtle bits barely noticeable ti one day you are shocked at the profile in the mirror or that the pants wont button!
I think it is the same for us spiritually. We have these terrific, God powered encounters and we feel warm, fuzzy and close to God. But then over time we dash out the door without praying because the morning is hectict. We pillow our heads without praying because we are whipped from the day. We find other priorities or time the Word. Before long our spiritual gut starts to show. Our language degenerates. Our priorities shift. Our devotion fades. Our choices begin to error and soon we find ourselves in need of conditioning.
Peter talks about it a bit in 1 Peter 5 (the Message) “Keep a cool head. Stay alert. The Devil is poised to pounce, and would like nothing better than to catch you napping. Keep your guard up. You’re not the only ones plunged into these hard times. It’s the same with Christians all over the world. So keep a firm grip on the faith.” The King James says be sober and vigilant.
Things get tough and sometimes you find yourself under the pouncing! But take heart as I have done today. “The suffering won’t last forever. It won’t be long before this generous God who has great plans for us in Christ—eternal and glorious plans they are!—will have you put together and on your feet for good. He gets the last word; yes, he does.” As radio announcer Paul Harvey used to say “and thats the rest of the story!”
I love the part about the Great Plans. I cant hardly wait on those. and best of all He gets the last word. Feeling overwhelmed and under a pouncing, look up. Help is coming.
You gotta love it!
Passage from The Message 1 Peter 5:8-11
