OUR OWN GOOD...

There can be no freedom without boundaries. No talk of liberty without constraints. True pleasure and satisfaction without remorse lies in the enjoyment of the gifts that God offers, within the context of self-control and moderation. It is a paradox. Seemingly, the way of abandoned surrender to our desires and obsessions would promise the quenching of our weary soul's thirsts. But it is a lie. That road is one that leads to vice, bondage, and slavery. A tennis match without rules erodes the meaning of the game. A diet without constraints undermines the purpose of a nutritional plan. A country governed without parameters breeds anarchy and chaos. In his wisdom, God has outlined His guidelines for humanity, in the hope that we would embrace them, and through living them out discover the fountain of joy, to which no sorrow or regret is added.

CHOOSE THIS DAY...

Well...some time has passed since I last put fingertips to keyboard in here. I'm not quite sure of the reason for the silence. It could be that I just didn't feel I had anything worthwhile to say for a while. Maybe it's the melancholy and depression I've been struggling against lately. Perhaps it's the disappointment and discouragement I feel over the often seemingly diluted nature of what I refer to as my faith in and devotion to Christ. Whatever the reason, I suppose it doesn't really matter too much. How does the saying go? "It's not the size of the dog in the fight. It's the size of the fight in the dog." I've been mindful again recently of the literal war that rages inside me for the dominion of my heart. Darkness...Light. Evil...Good. Hypocrisy...Integrity. satan...God. The former influences seduce, intimidate, deceive and manipulate. The latter invite, inspire, guide and liberate. And, in the midst of it all, the powerful weapon of choice has been entrusted to me. I'm granted the capacity to willfully align myself with either of these forces...to the eternal ruin or salvation of my soul.

There are many things in this life that I am unable to influence or control. I cannot control what the future holds and keep the challenges and storms of life at bay. I cannot change the fact that my existence in this world is etched out in territory under the influence of the devil...prone to corruption, imperfection and wickedness. I cannot change the fact that people around me will exercise their gift of choice in ways that don't always favor my preferences. I cannot change the reality that the road to moral, physical and spiritual degradation is almost always more pleasurable (at least in a carnal sense) to embrace than the road to honor, truth and goodness.

Yet I am not entirely without influence and choice. I can choose what I allow to be the focus of my faith. I can choose to buckle under the strife and strain of life or to stand confident in the grace and goodness of God. I can choose to focus on depression and despair or to celebrate the miracle of my sinful soul redeemed. I can choose to never, ever give up. To believe that in total defiance to all things painful and tainted, the flawless, unchanging faithfulness of Jehovah utters proclamations of hope, restoration, purpose and joy. To believe that in the end, in all things and through all things it is His sovereign word that rules over all. Over all. May he teach this vulnerable doubter to be a faith-soaked fighter.