No, thanks.

We all have things we struggle with, things we wish we wouldn't have done, etc... I've been thinking a lot the last few days about how we move on from them. Or how sometimes we don't. I wonder why, sometimes, that God in His sovereignty chooses things to take from us instantly and how for others we need to keep working (and working, and working, and working) at getting past whatever that thing is. I need God. I know that sometimes by the things I deal with on a day-to-day basis. I can't get through a day without realizing that without God, I'd likely still be stuck in the same bad choices I made without Him. The new tool I have for dealing with those things which has helped me, is just the two simple words of the title of today's post: "No, thanks," I'm unwilling to pay the cost of disobeying God. I know God honors obedience and I have seen some pretty unique ways that God has showed up in my life. It's amazing to see God move. It's also a very fearful thing to understand that if God is able to order circumstances the way He does, then there's nothing He is incapable of and that should strike a healthy tone of being fearful of God. That fear isn't a bad thing though. It helps me by realizing I don't want to pay cost of what I'd lose or the consequences of saying yes to things I know I need to say no to. I still have to remember sometimes that the stove is hot when it comes to even messing around with sin. I had time to think about that last week. Most of the bad decisions I made in my life revolve around being somewhere I shouldn't have been, and doing things I shouldn't be doing when I was there. So I try these days to make better choices. Although very much a work in progress, I'm not where I used to be either. And that's a God thing.