Stray or Stay from 8-18-06 post

"Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to have all of you, to sift you like wheat. But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen and build up your brothers." Luke 22:31-32

In the past, I was a "strayed being" and was following my worldly friends. My friend would drink every weekend. He would say, “Hey, everybody does this.”. So I followed him. Then he went gambling at the dog track then he would say the same thing. Fine, I followed. But then I heard a saying “If person jumps over bridge and commits suicide, would you?” Ouch! So this was kind of a wake up call.

Last Spring, our small group covered 11 chapters of Proverbs and it made a lot of sense to me about wisdom. I know, for time, if a person is straying from the walk with God for a while, the light that he\she once had will become dark. They will cease to use the wisdom of God. But in my case, I didn’t. I took the advice seriously. I thank God that I did. And also thanks to my wife, Robin, at the time she and I were dating for probably 6 months, she also helped me. She gave me a choice to either continue the way that I was living my life and she would leave me or change and Robin will be at my side for life! You know the rest.

When I was living in Chicago, friend of mine was Catholic. He was joking around and explaining that we all are living in a "rat race" till we die and us Catholics are like a “Car Wash”. We go to priest ask for forgiveness then go back out and get dirty again. I didn't like the way he was living his life but it’s so true. It is not just people he knew but majority "so-called Christians" that I have met are running this same pattern. I ask to myself “does Christ like this?” Absolutely NOT! We need break this trend. In Romans 6:1, "Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more kindness and forgiveness?"

That’s why sometime when we catch ourselves sinning or to a point when we tempt, there is a verse I suggest to meditate which will help:

1 Peter 5:8-9, "Be careful! Watch out for attacks from the Devil, your great enemy. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for some victim to devour. Take a firm stand against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are."

Prayer:

"Lord, we ask you for your patience with us, as we are sinners. We pray for protection against Satan. Give us strength to resist against temptation. We are learning from our mistakes and becoming stronger and stronger as we mature in Christ. Thank you for giving us examples how to live by. In Jesus’s name, Amen."