Make Room to Let Go

My oldest son Preston was around 8-months old when he would crawl around our house and would mysteriously find himself near the food bowl of our beautiful 80 lb. Boxer dog named “Gibson.”  On one specific occasion, we saw our baby boy crawl over towards Gibson’s bowl only to put the dog food in his mouth.  We ran to him to get him away and immediately removed the multiple pellets from his mouth and the extras from his hands.  He fought us.  He fought us hard.  We were taking away something he obviously enjoyed.  Even after telling him in our best baby-whisperer language that this was bad for him, he cried and cried.  He would not have it.  As soon as his knees would touch the ground, he would rush and crawl back to the dog bowl hoping we had changed our minds.  This battle went on for a couple of days until we finally removed the bowl from his reach.  Before you dismiss this story because of our novice parenting skills, our only excuse is that Preston was way faster and smarter than we ever gave him credit for, and the obvious fact that as parents of only one child at that time, we were mostly clueless.  Since then, I have learned what dog food is really made of . . . wait for it . . . ROADKILL.  Google it.  Our baby boy was, in reality, fighting mom and dad for some small pieces of roadkill.  He was choosing something dead over the food that I had offered him that would give him life and nutrition.  I’m so glad he grew out of that stage.  Preston is now 9 and lives a mostly normal life, outside of the fact that he still eats just about anything, cooked or raw.

Let’s be honest with ourselves.  How often do you and I fight God, our Father, for dog food?  How often do we argue with Him and try to rationalize and justify why we are wanting something that we think will give us life?  We fight God for roadkill.  We fight God for things that, in our finite and limited understanding, seem to be okay for the time being, when in reality could be very harmful. The problem is that we don’t know they are harmful, and we oftentimes see those things as normal and natural.  God wants to give us life.  Do we trust Him?

Today’s Scripture

“Everything is permissible for me, but not all things are beneficial. Everything is permissible for me, but I will not be enslaved by anything [and brought under its power, allowing it to control me].” - 1 Corinthians 6:12 (Amplified Bible)

Right Now Media

“PAUSE” Because Everybody is tempted.

Session 6 by Andy Stanley

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Tip from Oscar

There’s always more at stake than what we think.  Every temptation puts our confidence in God at stake. “Making Room” for more of God involves looking deeply at our relationships, our habits, our attitudes, our entertainment, and see if ANYTHING is getting in the way of our growth as disciples of Christ.

Study Suggestions

When we read 1 Corinthians 10:23 (Amplified Bible) we find Paul, once again, reminding us of what he previously stated in chapter 6.

• What are some things the Holy Spirit may be bringing to your mind right now that may not be constructive and edifying to your spiritual life?
• What are some ways we can avoid those things?
• Which one can you start today?

For deeper study, read: Hebrews 4:15-16, Romans 8:37, James 1:12-18, 1 Corinthians 10:13, James 4:1-4, 1 Timothy 6:9, Jeremiah 17:10