The Truth of The Matter

A little self-indulgence is good for you once in a while.

You deserve it.

We all need a little pampering.

Take some time for yourself.

Haven't we all bought into to these words? They creep up on us and sound so nice in the moment.

Not for long. You eat half the box of chocolates, and then groan at the numbers on the scale (not to mention the stomach ache!). You buy the cashmere sweater and then shrink it in the dryer by mistake. You purchase the pricey new cell phone, then your toddler throws it in the dishwater.

Discipline is by far one of the hardest actions to put into practice. We soon learn that our "self-indulgence" leads us to a downward spiral, but quitting is a difficult matter. It seems I resolve to do something, such as spend less time on the computer, or eat healthier, and do quite nicely for a while, only to fall back even deeper again.

This can get very frustrating, but God has been teaching me that there's a huge difference from attempting something in my own strength, from allowing Him to guide.

A couple years back Lauren and I decided to entirely give up watching t.v. and movies. Our families were a little shocked, to say the least, since sitting in front of the tube was something we had never given a second thought. They could not understand why we were doing this...mostly because we weren't sure ourselves...other than the fact we felt like we should. Because we could not explain our reasoning very well, our families in turn felt startled and unsure as what to think. It was really quite difficult, to give something up like that completely. My family would all be watching a movie together downstairs, laughing together. And I would be alone and think, is this really worth it? But slowly, Lauren and I would use these times to commune with Christ. Honestly, it was like a teeny tiny taste of Heaven, to be alone with my Prince.

Although we now watch t.v. on occasion with our families, it really required that full submission to break the habit we had. Although Lauren and I hadn't been constantly watching movies beforehand, we had been using that for own fleshy, self indulgence.

Sometimes you might think, what's the point? While it's true you'll benefit in some ways (such as eating healthier), you feel it's not worth the trouble. I want to remind you that discipline is not done for the self. We do it for Jesus Christ. If I am complaining or grumbling or kicking myself for not doing well, this is not discipline at all. But if you look at who you really long to be-a true servant and follower of Jesus Christ-we wouldn't be filled self-pity and doubt. (Oh, but how often we are...) Instead, shouldn't we be filled with a consuming joy, for our Abba God loves us and longs for us to surrender to Him?

I have been reading Discipline The Glad Surrender by Elisabeth Elliot, and I find she sums it up quite fittingly:

To be a Christian in New Testament terms is to be a disciple. There are no two ways about it. We have a Savior who has forgiven and saved us from the penalty of sin. Most of us would happily settle for that. But He died to save us also from our sins, many of which we love and hate to part with. Christ could not have done this of He were not the Lord over all the powers of evil. Jesus Christ is Savior because He is Lord. He is Lord because He is Savior. I cannot be saved from my sins unless I am also save from myself, so Christ must be "commanding officer" in my life.