A new chapter.

"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."

       - 1 Corinthians 10: 13

"As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins...For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

Epheshians 2: 1; 8-10

Man, do these speak volumes to me tonight. God is faithful beyond belief. He provides. He heals. He saves. 

Temptations can easily take hold of your life and drag you through some muddy waters. In high school, we used to go mudding. It was lots of fun. But, by the time you were done, mud covered everything. A lot of times, we didn't wash it off right away...it's just not fun if you wash it off as soon as you finish. You have to soak up the environment. (Plus, I hear people pay to lay in mud at spas...apparently it has some health benefits...? Thank you mother nature.) That stuff dried thick and heavy. You had to chip it off a little bit at a time. The windows, even after being grazed by the windshield wipers, were streaky and difficult to see through.

I think temptations, and lust, have the same effect. Our vision is clouded. Their weight bogs down our thoughts and our better judgement. We succumb to the ideas planted in our minds by Satan. He plants these ideas and they grow like wild bamboo, viciously stabbing through every bit of clarity we had. 

We give in to the worldly temptations that surround our everyday lives. The cursing, the gossiping, the lying, cheating, stealing. The list goes on and on. I can't say that I'm perfect and that I do not do any of these things. I admit to giving into temptations. However, I know that I am forgiven.

When you recognize your sins and make an effort to turn from them, you are making an effort to grow closer to the Lord. In the words of Matt Chandler, "When you move farther from the ways God makes you holy and closer to the ways you make you holy...When you move farther from the things God brings to the table for you and closer to the things you bring to the table for you, you are pulling yourself farther from His salvation."

I think I've focused too much on the things I bring to the table. The things I bring are NOTHING compared to what He has to offer me. Unfortunately, it took me this long to realize it. A new chapter in this book that I call "Life" has begun and I look forward to seeing how it ends. But, in the meantime, I'm going to enjoy writing the chapter. 

I have a lot to learn. But lucky for me, I am surrounded by friends and family who have a lot to teach.