"Who loves ya' baby?"
It might not be you.
There just may be some merit to the old adage of you being "your own worst enemy".
Fear and self-loathing go together. If there is fear then faith is not working. If faith is not working then you probably don't really believe that God loves you. If you don't believe that God loves you than how in the world will you ever love yourself.
Don't confuse loving yourself ("Love your neighbor AS YOU LOVE YOURSELF" Mark 12:28-31), with vanity, conceit, and generally thinking you are "all that". That is actually the epitome of self hatred. You hate yourself so much that you play the role of someone who has it all together.
Some of the most self hating, lonely, and emotionally unstable people I know are like that. Just look at Hollywood. Why do young, pretty, and talented actresses have to be confined to jail and home arrest?
They hate themselves. And millions of people want to be just like them.
When you are insecure in who you are in Christ you will do all sorts of things to gain acceptance and popularity.
Destructive patterns will form. You will live by that self induced code for all of your life until you surrender to Jesus.
Surrender isn't quitting.
Surrender to Christ is your liberation day.
Luke 9:23-24 - "And He said to all, If any person wills to come after Me, let him deny himself [disown himself, forget, lose sight of himself and his own interests, refuse and give up himself] and take up his cross daily and follow Me [cleave steadfastly to Me, conform wholly to My example in living and, if need be, in dying also]. (24) For whoever would preserve his life and save it will lose and destroy it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he will preserve and save it [from the penalty of eternal death]."
Deny yourself. After all, you are killing you.
Every time you convince yourself that the wrong you are doing is somehow condoned by God, you are murdering your soul. And believe me, I have seen seemingly good Christian people immerse themselves in the most immoral actions while being convinced that it is somehow OK with God.
I see it daily. People who claim to love the Lord engaging in fornication of various types (from straight to gay), being addicted to alcohol, drugs (illegal or prescription), tobacco, and even pornography. How about the "benign" or "amoral" activities? Yes, you can diet, exercise, self-help group, and fake Jesus yourself to death as well.
If your flame has dimmed or gone out in favor of another attraction...another attraction...
ANOTHER ATTRACTION...
This is not surrender.
1 Corinthians 6:9-11 - "Do you not know that the unrighteous and the wrongdoers will not inherit or have any share in the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived (misled)."
Don't shoot me. I'm just His messenger. Sorry if that offends anyone...well, not really. I hope it offends you right to your knees.
Good grief, if I see it being played out before me, what does God see? All the dirty, lurid details.
He is in your bedroom. Not me. He is next to you when you put that bottle to your lips. Not me.
Ever hear someone say "The devil is in the details"? Wrong. God is in the details.
Surrender.
It's the only way. Taking up your cross is the only way. It's simply deciding you are following Him and not you.
He is the Giver of Life. You are the executioner left up to your own ways and desires.
The good news is that you can begin to live right now. This very moment.
Change your life, your situation. Become what He desires you to be. Stop looking at yourself and look at the Cross of Christ.
In HIM is all you need to be happy. Trust Him to send you love, joy, peace, tranquility, serenity...He is the Lifechanger, the Waymaker! You CAN have this...IF YOU want.
Keepin' it Real,
Pastor Kevin <><
www.reallifect.com
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