Ephesians 5:17 Amplified Bible says, "Therefore do not be vague and thoughtless and foolish, but understanding and firmly grasping what the will of the Lord is." God wants us to love Him, ourselves and others. God created sex and sexuality. What God creates is good, very good provided it's used according to His instructions.
When we are thoughtful, alert and sensitive to the leading of God the Holy Ghost we will carefully protect and cherish our whole person. When we are asleep spiritually we get into bed with the enemy. The Bible book of Judges records that Samson was a believer who was sexually confused, sleeping with the enemy. Here are four ways Samson was not thoughtful, alert and sensitive to God.
1. Companionship in the spirit:
God designed for both husband and wife to be believers with an equal relationship with God. Samson was having sex with Deliliah, but he was not married to her. Samson was a worshiper of the one and only true and living God. Delilah probably worshiped Dagon. Samson and Delilah had nothing in common spiritually. They could not have companionship and unity spiritually because the spiritual source upon which their lifestyle was based were in conflict and opposition.
2. Intellectual agreement:
Relationships help us fulfill our God-given purpose in life. Sexuality is designed to reproduce a legacy of life, of multiplication. Samson had a pattern of choosing sexual partners who betrayed him to his enemies. His relationships brought destruction instead of multiplication.
Believers value freedom. Delilah talked repeatedly about bondage.
Believers affirm each other consistently. Delilah attacked Samson relentlessly.
Believers seek to help self and others. Delilah sought money for herself at the expense of Samson.
Believers seek the truth. Delilah lied.
Believers practice love with true affection. Delilah practiced false compassion.
3. Emotional encouragement:
Joy and peace are experienced in good relationships. Samson experienced insults, harassment and other emotional torment in his relationship with Delilah.
4. Healthy physical bodies:
God designed sex inside of marriage to be pleasurable and good for us. While Samson experienced moments of pleasure the end result of sex with Delilah was that he had his strength stripped and his enemies were empowered to bore out his eyes and put him in bondage.
Sometimes we attract enemies because they are persecuting us for right living, but Samson attracted enemies because he was an enemy to himself living sexually according to the ways of evil. He was asleep to the sexual ways of God.
Believers have God on the inside to empower us to stay awake and live well. No time is a good time to be vague and sleepy about our relationship with God and His will for us. The evil enemy is always seeking to seduce you to sleep with him.
Showing posts with label Self Control. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Self Control. Show all posts
Saturday, October 13, 2012
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
How to Stop Spinning Out of Control
Sometimes we are in relationships with believers and certain interactions repeatedly spin out of control. Neither one of us wanted to end up in sins of anger, envy, selfishness, etc., but we seem to repeatedly move there. Often these interactions condition us to have a mindset of fear regarding how we will behave in certain circumstances. Fearing the worst behavior or something less than the best behavior is not believing the best. God calls us to the best. 1 Corinthians 13:7 Amplified Bible says, "Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening]."
As believers, "Esperamos." Our hope and confidence is not in someone's ability to change to good behavior, but in God's ability to change someone. As long as our hope and confidence is in people we will be prone to expect failure, and we will try to flee and/or fight as a means of protecting ourselves from sin. Placing our confidence in God and walking in love is not operating with unrealistic thoughts about human behavior. Rather love sees and understands the truth about ourselves and others and turns us over to God for the ability to do good in increasing likeness of God.
Examine ourselves. Ask questions like, "What behavior am I afraid he/she will do?;" "Why do I respond in fear?" Then ask God to set us free from the fearful thought pattern that is motivating us to respond in an unloving way. Ungodly fear entangles us in more sin because wisdom declines and low expectations increase.
God has already placed Himself in believers giving us self-control to master the fear and to respond in love.
When we are walking in self-control we are in God's will. We don't have a perfect body yet, so we will not walk in perfect self-control. A Japanese proverb says, "Fall down seven times, get up eight times."
God is already aware of and taken care of all the sins we ever did, are doing and will do. When we are imperfect, but chasing God, God is willing to make the changes we ask Him. 1 John 3:22-23 Amplified Bible says, "And we receive from Him whatever we ask, because we [watchfully] obey His orders [observe His suggestions and injunctions, follow His plan for us] and [habitually] practice what is pleasing to Him. And this is His order (His command, His injunction): that we should believe in (put our faith and trust in and adhere to and rely on) the name of His Son Jesus Christ (the Messiah), and that we should love one another, just as He has commanded us."
Contact Michele Jackson and Rafael Fowler at email address michefrancesjackson@gmail.com to join our live relationship group to conquer fear and to live in love and self control among other things. God created us and preserves our life from fertilization through birth, youth, old age and beyond death for people who are African, European, Asian, Hispanic, male, female, working all different kinds of assignments at all different kinds of hours and with different minds and abilities and with multiple mixtures of these characteristics. God created us to have a good relationship with Him and to be in relationships with people who are just right for us.
As believers, "Esperamos." Our hope and confidence is not in someone's ability to change to good behavior, but in God's ability to change someone. As long as our hope and confidence is in people we will be prone to expect failure, and we will try to flee and/or fight as a means of protecting ourselves from sin. Placing our confidence in God and walking in love is not operating with unrealistic thoughts about human behavior. Rather love sees and understands the truth about ourselves and others and turns us over to God for the ability to do good in increasing likeness of God.
Examine ourselves. Ask questions like, "What behavior am I afraid he/she will do?;" "Why do I respond in fear?" Then ask God to set us free from the fearful thought pattern that is motivating us to respond in an unloving way. Ungodly fear entangles us in more sin because wisdom declines and low expectations increase.
God has already placed Himself in believers giving us self-control to master the fear and to respond in love.
When we are walking in self-control we are in God's will. We don't have a perfect body yet, so we will not walk in perfect self-control. A Japanese proverb says, "Fall down seven times, get up eight times."
God is already aware of and taken care of all the sins we ever did, are doing and will do. When we are imperfect, but chasing God, God is willing to make the changes we ask Him. 1 John 3:22-23 Amplified Bible says, "And we receive from Him whatever we ask, because we [watchfully] obey His orders [observe His suggestions and injunctions, follow His plan for us] and [habitually] practice what is pleasing to Him. And this is His order (His command, His injunction): that we should believe in (put our faith and trust in and adhere to and rely on) the name of His Son Jesus Christ (the Messiah), and that we should love one another, just as He has commanded us."
Contact Michele Jackson and Rafael Fowler at email address michefrancesjackson@gmail.com to join our live relationship group to conquer fear and to live in love and self control among other things. God created us and preserves our life from fertilization through birth, youth, old age and beyond death for people who are African, European, Asian, Hispanic, male, female, working all different kinds of assignments at all different kinds of hours and with different minds and abilities and with multiple mixtures of these characteristics. God created us to have a good relationship with Him and to be in relationships with people who are just right for us.
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