Sooo, I recently purchased a new book and it is called "Breaking Free" by Beth Moore. I'm not very big on reading but I like to go to book stores and I really like to buy books. While I was in Barnes & Noble looking around for a book I found this one and I started reading the back of it. Ya know, like I do most of the time. Only this time, it completely sucked me in. So of course, I brought it to the register and it was soon mine. I don't have alot of spare time working at camp and when I do have time I usually don't like to spend it reading. It's just not fun to me. But, from the first page of this book I have been challenged and I have come across a very interesting part of it and I would like to share it! So, here it goes.
"...but he refused to demand respect for the one and only God... To be free in Christ, our high places will have to fall. We must be willing to take a stand against idolatry."
-Beth Moore "Breaking Free"
So many things in this world will hold us captive! Before Christ, we were held captive to sin. Now, we have the ability to be broken of that imprisonment and to be free in Christ. But, to be free in Christ our high places will have to fall. Our pride will have to fall. We should be completely humble and give all of the great things God has given us back to him. Because he has blessed us beyond belief with things that we are completely unworthy for. Not only do our high places have to fall but, we must be willing to take a stand against idolatry.
Idolatry: Extreme admiration, love, or reverence for something or someone.
If you choose something or someone over God, that is idolatry. We are ALL guilty of it! I know that alot of the time...especially at camp...I would rather sleep than read my Bible. Sometimes I even choose Taco Bell over my prayer time. Is that good? No, definitely not. But, it takes discipline. God doesn't expect us to be perfect. He knows that we aren't. He still likes us to try our best to overcome temptation to choose stuff over him and to spend time with him.
"Resist him, stand firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world."
-1 Peter 5:9
That verse covers alot of ground. The word suffering can be alot of things because alot of things are hard to resist at different times. I feel that i am suffering when I wake up an hour early to read my bible before work, but I know that there are other people doing the same thing who are also tired. If at any point in my life I have to severely suffer for Christ, I would know that there are also people dying every single day for making his name known around the world. People who are dying for spending an hour before work reading the bible. We all struggle, different things are hard at different times for all of us. But, no matter what the circumstance is, we need to demand respect for God, even if we have to demand it from ourselves. We need to stand up against idolatry to give all of the glory to God and to show him the love that he deserves.
"And he said to his disciples, 'Temptations to sin are sure to come, but woe to the one through which they come!'"
-Luke 17:1
"No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with temptation he will also provide the way to escape, that you may be able to endure it."
-1 Corinthians 10:13
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