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this is from my struggle against sin, and I want to share practical strategies I have learned from my struggles, because practical strategies are needed
a general rule of thumb: if the strategy of "repentance" or "repentance" technique requires excessive amount of willpower. If I were to grade the technique
, I will fail that technique no questions asked, and I have practical reasons why, because you will not have the strengh to keep fighting with that kind of failing strategy.
clearly, we want to "work smarter, not harder" for this ...
if I were to guess why we desire sin, it's most likely coveting, in the sense that sin falsely promises things like "order", "beauty", or "the feeling of rare pleasures", that can lead to addictions, and God is allowing "the law of desensitization" to take effect so that the same amount of doses will be less and less desirable at every turn.
imagine, even a boatload of sin is not enough to satisfy the sin craving, that withdrawal symptoms have been miserably stalled but inevitably, it's a pre-programmed God's wake-up call to tell you that sin ultimately doesn't satisfy, because we've be corrupted by deceitful desires
in light of this, we can think ahead and prep before we hit the point of worse withdrawal symptoms, and this is where the strategy to hopefully help maximize our chance of success will come in, this is where we can better spend whatever finite "willpower" we may have.
in short, we can practice with weaker versions of withdrawal symptoms, knowing that "withdrawal" of some form is an inevitable guarantee, it's believable, practical, and that is the battleground where we choose to fight.
a small version of withdrawal symptom can feel like depression or deprivation because it's like the idea of "giving up sinning" and the flesh wants the sin that you are trying to give up on.
the idea of giving up sin can lead to feelings of deprivation, and here's a secret Satan doesn't want you to know: treat that lowly feeling of deprivation, as if God is humbling you, take the opportunity (the opportunity of humility), and ask God to help your heart love and obey God, this will take resolve and consider this "surrender the past, because the past is gone" the past is dead, the present is alive, forget the past, and now is all that matters (now, where is that "determined - call to arms - let's do this!" emoji for this?)
and don't forget to rest in God's love as well
think of what is it like to see the world through the eyes of a child
here's my guess: before even the ability to think in comparisons (or analogies), it's most likely fascination with this new things that probably feel "unique" (no child would ever like to stare at a blank wall) or whatever it is that's unlabeled (I call this, "unlabeled difference", children like to make up phrases)
and, the mind is unable to think in words yet
for the child, generalization is good enough
no need of any OCD-like specifics (which sin can sometimes insist to tempt with cravings, which will lead you pursuing sin)
being ok with generalization, can free you from the OCD-like effects of sin, in a way
and secondly, when you are tired, your mind vents, when your mind gives random images that's "more pure" flow with that, many times, the image while resting can be vague, undefined randomness, while recovering, and the feeling of physiological recover can feel nice in a sense
Assure the flesh that there's alternative, that sin is not necessary, and that can hopefully maximize our chance for spiritual success
and
I wish you all the best of luck on your way to spiritual victory.
a general rule of thumb: if the strategy of "repentance" or "repentance" technique requires excessive amount of willpower. If I were to grade the technique
, I will fail that technique no questions asked, and I have practical reasons why, because you will not have the strengh to keep fighting with that kind of failing strategy.clearly, we want to "work smarter, not harder" for this ...
if I were to guess why we desire sin, it's most likely coveting, in the sense that sin falsely promises things like "order", "beauty", or "the feeling of rare pleasures"
, that can lead to addictions, and God is allowing "the law of desensitization" to take effect so that the same amount of doses will be less and less desirable at every turn.imagine, even a boatload of sin is not enough to satisfy the sin craving, that withdrawal symptoms have been miserably stalled but inevitably, it's a pre-programmed God's wake-up call
to tell you that sin ultimately doesn't satisfy, because we've be corrupted by deceitful desiresin light of this, we can think ahead and prep before we hit the point of worse withdrawal symptoms, and this is where the strategy to hopefully help maximize our chance of success will come in, this is where we can better spend whatever finite "willpower" we may have.
in short, we can practice with weaker versions of withdrawal symptoms, knowing that "withdrawal" of some form is an inevitable guarantee, it's believable, practical, and that is the battleground where we choose to fight.
a small version of withdrawal symptom can feel like depression
or deprivation because it's like the idea of "giving up sinning" and the flesh wants the sin that you are trying to give up on.the idea of giving up sin can lead to feelings of deprivation, and here's a secret Satan doesn't want you to know
: treat that lowly feeling of deprivation, as if God is humbling you, take the opportunity (the opportunity of humility), and ask God to help your heart love and obey God, this will take resolve and consider this "surrender the past, because the past is gone" the past is dead, the present is alive, forget the past, and now is all that matters (now, where is that "determined - call to arms - let's do this!" emoji for this?)and don't forget to rest in God's love as well
think of what is it like to see the world through the eyes of a child
here's my guess: before even the ability to think in comparisons (or analogies), it's most likely fascination with this new things that probably feel "unique" (no child would ever like to stare at a blank wall) or whatever it is that's unlabeled (I call this, "unlabeled difference", children like to make up phrases)
and, the mind is unable to think in words yet
for the child, generalization is good enough
no need of any OCD-like specifics (which sin can sometimes insist to tempt with cravings, which will lead you pursuing sin)
being ok with generalization, can free you from the OCD-like effects of sin, in a way
and secondly, when you are tired, your mind vents, when your mind gives random images that's "more pure" flow with that, many times, the image while resting can be vague, undefined randomness, while recovering, and the feeling of physiological recover can feel nice in a sense
Assure the flesh that there's alternative, that sin is not necessary, and that can hopefully maximize our chance for spiritual success
and
I wish you all the best of luck on your way to spiritual victory.
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