It amazes me what the Holy Spirit will use to convict me sometimes, or what God will use to speak to me. I love how creative our God is, and how things I would never think have would grab my attention. The other day I was driving in my car and the new Taylor Swift song came on “Blank Space.” (Which I’m kind of loving that song). Anyways, a line in the song really struck me just right, it says, “You can tell me when it’s over, if the high was worth the pain.”
The part that really got me was the second part, “if the high was worth the pain.” This reminds me so much of sin. Sometimes, I believe we sin, and we don’t realize it right away. When we do we repent and we move on. However, I’m not sure about anyone else but sadly, there are times when I know I am sinning, and I do it anyways because I want to satisfy myself in whatever way I’m sinning at that point. Be it road rage when someone cuts me off, thinking things I shouldn’t, or whatever it may be at the particular moment. Here is the thing though, often times after I do it: I go into a shaming mode, I’m mad at myself for messing up…again. I shame myself into feeling bad and promise myself I will never do it again, but then I do.
Here are two things I have learned and want to share with all of you. First of all, we are human and we all fall short. That’s why God offers us to repent and sheds His grace over us. I think this line sticks out to me so much, because I know that whatever “high” my “flesh” wants to feel, it isn’t worth the pain in the end. It hurts me for two reasons; it hurts me to know that I hurt God; someone who loves me more than any human could ever love me, and someone who would never leave me no matter what I do. The second reason it hurts is because the thing I did was unhealthy, and not helpful in loving others or myself. God is not out to steal our joy (that’s what the enemy wants to do!) He’s out to protect us and that is why He has come up with the commandments and other things He tells us not to do.
The Second thing I have learned is we can’t stop bad habits on our own. I’m sorry to burst anyone’s bubble here. We are made of flesh and we are weak. God said, He would never give us more than we can handle, but the thing is, is that He doesn’t give us more than we can handle, when we have Him in our corner. We should always be asking God for help, because we just can’t do it on our own, and it’s okay to admit that. God loves us, and He just wants us to call on Him.
The part that really got me was the second part, “if the high was worth the pain.” This reminds me so much of sin. Sometimes, I believe we sin, and we don’t realize it right away. When we do we repent and we move on. However, I’m not sure about anyone else but sadly, there are times when I know I am sinning, and I do it anyways because I want to satisfy myself in whatever way I’m sinning at that point. Be it road rage when someone cuts me off, thinking things I shouldn’t, or whatever it may be at the particular moment. Here is the thing though, often times after I do it: I go into a shaming mode, I’m mad at myself for messing up…again. I shame myself into feeling bad and promise myself I will never do it again, but then I do.
Here are two things I have learned and want to share with all of you. First of all, we are human and we all fall short. That’s why God offers us to repent and sheds His grace over us. I think this line sticks out to me so much, because I know that whatever “high” my “flesh” wants to feel, it isn’t worth the pain in the end. It hurts me for two reasons; it hurts me to know that I hurt God; someone who loves me more than any human could ever love me, and someone who would never leave me no matter what I do. The second reason it hurts is because the thing I did was unhealthy, and not helpful in loving others or myself. God is not out to steal our joy (that’s what the enemy wants to do!) He’s out to protect us and that is why He has come up with the commandments and other things He tells us not to do.
The Second thing I have learned is we can’t stop bad habits on our own. I’m sorry to burst anyone’s bubble here. We are made of flesh and we are weak. God said, He would never give us more than we can handle, but the thing is, is that He doesn’t give us more than we can handle, when we have Him in our corner. We should always be asking God for help, because we just can’t do it on our own, and it’s okay to admit that. God loves us, and He just wants us to call on Him.