So, recently, I came back from 10 days off from work. I felt refreshed and renewed and ready to come back to work. I was even looking forward to seeing friends at work. The enthusiasm last a whole two days, after that it felt like vacation was a year ago. Then, I think about why is it that work seems so draining at times. There is nothing particularly difficult or demanding about my job physically. Most of the problems that I have seen I have seen before, so there really aren't that many surprises anymore. I think maybe it is because most of the problems I see are avoidable. It seems we can be our own worst enemy at times.
I think maybe this is in part what Paul was talking about in Romans 7 when he said, "For that which I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do; but I am doing the very thing I hate." Romans 7:15 Then again in verse 18 "For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh, for the wishing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not." Rom 7:18
Paul is talking about the battle between the flesh and the spirit. The battle between doing God's will and doing our own. The battle between being led by the Spirit and the flesh. The thing is, that sometimes the flesh is winning and sometimes it is the spirit, but they are never in harmony. They are always at war. Nobody knows this better than the believer who is truly trying to live for the Lord. For someone who is carnal and does whatever they want doesn't have this battle, for there is no conflict. But, for the believer there is always a war. For friendship with the world is hostility to God.
So, sometimes sin can look attractive and fun. It can come in many forms, but it tells us with a subtle, quiet voice "Don't think about the consequences, do what you want." Only, the truth of it is, that the consequences always come home. That check has to be cashed sooner or later. When I decide to live by my rules instead of God's and ignore his warning then there will be a day of accounting. In many cases, the truth is also that the one I am hurting the most is myself.
A personal example would be my battle with diabetes. When I eat a snack full of sugar, unless I was low at that point, my blood sugar is going to spike upwards. If I don't give myself insulin then that damages my body. If I do this long enough, then damage occurs. If I do this day in and day out, then I could be causing all sorts of damage to kidneys, heart, nerves and eyes. So, the main person who is going to bear consequences of that action is also me. Sin is also at times like that. Whatever I may want to indulge in at the moment, a fit of anger, an unkind word, a unkind or ungodly thought etc. Eventually, there are consequences that I don't want.
I think this is why it is so important to remember that the battle for each one of us begins in the mind. Jesus says in Matthew 15:18 But the things that proceed ouf of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man. For out of the heart comes evil thoughts, murder, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness and slanders. These are thing things which defile the man; . . . ." I think this is because what the mind and the spirit dwells on comes through in what we do and say. It is born in the mind and that bears itself out in attitudes and emotions and actions. So, if my mind is dwelling on negative thoughts then my actions will bear this out.
