Do you do what you desire or what you hate?

We talk of fresh starts, new beginnings. We want things to be different, better. We have that as our goal, yet it seems we are often stuck in the old world that we want so desperately to escape from. 

We remember too well. We remind another too often. We fail to move past the pain and hurt caused by another. We say we want to, but yet we remain burdened by our thoughts.

It is like what the apostle Paul says in Romans 7:15, “I do not understand what I do; for I don’t do what I would like to do, but instead I do what I hate.”  

And do you know why you do what you hate? It’s because of sin. Our old sin nature. It died when we accepted Christ as our Savior. But if we do not stay focused on Him, that old sin nature awakens within us and we end up riding it for all its worth.

We want to seek purity, but our mind captures the very thing we hate.

If we truly want a new beginning, then we must seek God at every step. To claim you have no time is a cop-out.
Start your day with prayer: 
Lord, Thank you for this day. Thank you for a place to lay our heads, to rest from the previous day’s struggles. Today, guide us as we go about our day, working, playing, talking, whatever it is, Lord, show us the best way. Show us how to speak only words that bring glory to You.  In Your name, we pray. Amen.

Keep God at the forefront always. If we do not seek God, if we continue to fall prey to our selfish nature, new beginnings will be long in coming.

We cannot hope for a turnaround if we’re constantly looking at the past and reminding ourselves and others of wrongdoings.

We reap what we sow, but we do not need to continually reap havoc. 

"Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.” (Psalm 30:5 NKJV)  .  

(c) Cathy Orrick Luders

August 20, 2014