Holy Spirit: "Watch Out Sweet Child"

Have you ever been told by a wise person, "don't do it" and did it anyway? Yeah so have I and I regret it. Some time back me and my family were watching tv and a commercial came on for some kind of medicine. My daughter just started giggling at the end when this man talking 100 miles per hour started rattling off possible side effects. His question was something like, do you have acne problems? Try our medicine.... "Warning! May cause constipation, dizziness, increased sweating, lightheadedness, damage your kidney, liver, heart, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, weakness, driving places you don't remember, bleeding in you ears and loss of your finger nails....and more" Wow! Sign me up!!! (Ok so I threw in a couple extras there. Lol) This got me to thinking about how my choices in life take on a similar path. There are things that on the surface look like something great and worth while, but I fail to listen to the warning at the end of the enemies advertisement and/or temptation. Each time, like a mother warning her child not to hit his head on the corner table, the Holy Spirit is warning me, "Don't do it son! I know how this will end." Each time I am faced with a choice. Either take the bait and live with the side effects (consequences) or ask for strength to fight the temptation and grow in my faith and strength having resisted it. Let's be honest, sin is fun. If it wasn't, there wouldn't be a pull. What's not fun is what the sin fails to show us on the back end, the consequences.  Warning: You may catch a disease, the brutal hangover, loss of job, damaging my brain, messy divorce, saying and doing things I regret to close friends and wounds toward my kids, spouse or loved ones; Warping my mind in how I view women and my spouse, end up in jail, tearing my family apart, a drifting away from my relationship with the Father, etc, etc. Sounds like a blast doesn't it? Not. Today, I am reminded that I am a life long learner that is weak without the Father. Someone once said, “Some of life's best lessons are learned at the worst times."  Even though the advertisement from the enemy can look so enticing, it really isn't worth the nasty and damaging consequences.  Today I am encouraged to listen to the great wisdom in the words of James: "Submit to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you..."James 4:7-8a With each temptation we fight thru, we will be stronger for the next. But don't go at it alone. Have a blessed day friend. Rodney Holmstrom

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