While I don’t have many strong memories of my childhood and formative years, there is one event that stands out vividly in my mind. It was like any other early morning in my life back then. Me wishing that I didn’t have to do chores at 5am, sitting on a stool milking one of our two milk cows, a cigarette hanging out of my mouth… Okay, that wasn’t typical. As a matter of fact, cigarettes had only been part of my life for approximately two weeks. I had found two packages of them along side of the road that someone had dropped. And for two weeks I thought that I was so cool. Milking the cow… Having a smoke… Hiding from my parents.
But that day I had run out. It was my last one. I remember thinking, “I think that you’re supposed to inhale the smoke into your lungs”. So I did. When I actually inhaled the smoke I spent the next ten minutes thrashing around the barn, coughing uncontrollably. The cow kicked the bucket over, spilling all of the milk that I had gotten from her that day. Not only did I have an awful experience. I also had nothing to show for it. As I think of that story, I can’t help but think about Adam Eve shortly after Creation. They were innocent. They hadn’t experienced any consequences for wrong decisions. The fruit was desirable. “What could it hurt?” Well, we all know what happened when they took a bite.
Even Jesus was tempted. But I think that, unlike us, when tempted He fully realized the consequences of His pending choices. He understood the principle found in James:
Each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin. And sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. James 1:14,15
I can honestly say that some of the most difficult lessons of my life have come as a result of my own choices. My disregard of consequences in my mind that were probable outcomes of a wrong decision. Some will say, “People just have to learn the hard way!”. While I would agree that some of life’s greatest lessons are learned that way, it doesn’t have to happen. God uses the Holy Spirit to speak right and wrong to us. He uses the Holy Spirit to remind of God’s teachings. Several things that I am learning…
- Sin is attractive. It disguises itself and hides its consequences.
- The results of wrong choices are usually more than we think that they will Be.
- You will usually have nothing positive to show for wrong choices. Except for possible life change that only God can bring, in spite of our decisions.
- Learning what is right and changing is a lifetime journey. One that God will walk with us through.
That’s what I hold on to from my silly “fall from faith” story. Lesson learned. I haven’t smoked since.
I love Philippians 1:6
And I am sure of this, that he who began h a good work in you i will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:10
What is an area that you can “become more like Jesus in”?
What are a few goals that you can “press on to take hold of”?
What wrong decisions in the past can you “forget and leave in the past”.
“Thank you Lord that you don’t give up on me. Thank you that you use my mistakes and wrong choices to make me better. Help me to not have to learn the hard way. Teach me however you see fit.”
Joy in the Journey!
SOAP Scripture: Philippians 3:10
S: (scripture)
Read the above passage and underline, highlight, or write down passages that stand out to you. Maybe re-read it a few times if that’s helpful.
O: (observation)
Write down things you observe about the passage. Maybe it’s a word that stood out to you, something the passage made you think about, or a question that you have.
A: (application)
Write down some ways that the passage applies to your life. Make it personal.
P: (prayer)
Take a moment and pray. Ask God to make the passage practical to your everyday life.
