It's been a long time since I have been on here.
I am reading this devotional on YouVersion entitled, "Who Controls You?". A few things jumped out at me. The Lord has a way of getting our attention and turning our hearts back to Him. True, we should have no reason to venture from Him but being the humans we are, sometimes our flesh gets the best of us. It's a struggle. Paul acknowledge it when he penned "When I would do good, evil is present on every hand...." (Romans 7:21). So is that an excuse to fall...I mean haven't we all fell short of the glory? Absolutely not. As Christians we compelled to mark the perfect man (Psalms 37:37). Anyway back to my orginal topic.
I realized we are all controlled by something. Our bosses control our paychecks. Parents control the boundaries/activities of children. Our hearts control our actions. Our mind controls our hearts...or vice versa? Our minds controls our actions and our hearts control our minds. Does God have any control? Does the devil? Does our spouse or partner? Do our children control us? Do we have self-control for the areas we know we are weak in?
Proverbs 25:28 says, “Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control.”
Personal reflection:
I have allowed things to control me. I have allowed my children to control me...I have allowed relationships to control me...I have allowed love to control me...I have allowed friends to control me...I have allowed wants and desires to control me. Does this mean I am weak? I don't think so. It means I am human. It also means I need to stop and re-focus. I am drawn to the scripture Psalms 37:4, "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart."
My children are very well taken care of....I realize them going without the latest DS video game does not equate to them going "without". Relationships well.....in the Lord's time. Friends...my circle has drastically decreased and for me that's good. Less birthdays to remember. But seriously, as an adult, I see the need for surrounding myself with like-minded individuals. People who have a genuine heart for God...if they love God first, I know loving me will be easy. My wants and desires....oh yeah, if I delight myself in the Lord...ok so there's the answer to that.
Lord, forgive me for allowing things to control. I have been distracted and I am sorry. It is my sincere goal to follow You and walk in Your truths. I ask You to help me remain focused on You. I trust You completely with everything I am and all that I have. I would be nothing and have nothing without You. I thank You for being the God that You are...gracious, merciful and loving. Help me to love You as much as You love me. I know that is not possible considering the sacrifice You made, but I want to try. You gave Your life for me, I give You my life in return. In Jesus' Name, Amen
Great devotional today. I challenge you to evaluate your life. Today, I allow God's word to control me. Will you?
~ msKim
