Walk this way

"Whoever says 'I know Him' but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: Whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked." (1 John 2:4-6 English Standard Version)

Once again, French fries called my name, and I regretted it.

In my mind, I would like to see myself fashionably eating a beautiful salad, and instead, I stuff my face with fries.

It is a colossal failure, in my mind. This lack of self control.

What does that look like for you?

I can think of other things that tempt me. Yarn on sale. Stray cats that need homes. The power to slay an issue with my pen.

I am sure that the struggle is real for all mankind.

Part of developing self control is defining our why. Why or why not?

Cause and effect.

If I eat the fries, I will gain weight and get sleepy.

Fries are a momentary pleasure that provide nothing supportive in return.

I feel it is the same scenario in other arenas as well.

We each have a list of temptations.

And here we are.

As Christians, we have a path to follow, an example who went before, someone familiar with our momentary struggles.

Fries are my downfall.

There is forgiveness.

I feel nobody wants to talk about self control anymore. We avoid anything that looks like rules. We want the result without the work. We do not want to be told what to do or how to do it. And likewise, we should not be surprised when we find we do not have the inner fortitude to be strong, along whichever path we choose to walk.

One of the central themes in Christianity is forgiveness. To become a Christian, we acknowledge we have fallen short and need salvation. We lift up our selfish ways and ask the Lord to pardon.

Yet for many of us, we fall into a spirit of self condemnation, even after asking forgiveness and walking in new ways.

Scripture does say "there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus," and to deny the forgiveness of the Lord is like handing back a gift given to us, looking upon it with disdain.

So not only do we seek self control and a better path for our feet, but also how to walk out this life in him.

The fries were wonderful, for a while. One hour later, my sugars were flying high, and I was starkly reminded: vegetables would have been the better choice.

Mankind daily faces deeper temptations than Fremch fries.

What is on your list?

I find after making my list, I am almost out of ink.

A new line needs to be written.

Receive his forgiveness, meditate on his direction.

May this be a blessed day for all of us as we aim to walk in the same way Jesus walked. May the light of the Lord permeate our being. May we be a blessing to others and hold the lantern on these dark paths, so others also may find their way.