We have all done it. We have all basked in the glory of feeling free. We all know that feeling of peace and joy when we have been delivered from the dark thing holding us back. Whether it be from anger, gluttony, greed, lust, anxiety. We all know how peaceful it is to feel free of it.
If you haven’t yet let me tell you it feels amazing. There is this vale that gets removed and this weight is removed. You never know how deep in the dark you are until you are put in the light.
Visualize pushing and pulling this overloaded cart. It is hot, you're tired, you just can't push this cart anymore. When you get saved, delivered, redeemed you are not wearing this heavy burden of a coat anymore. Doesn't that sound wonderful! You give that heave cart over to the one person who is strong enough to push it. You DO NOT want it back, right?
Sadly, It doesn’t seem to matter how down the walk we go we will turn around and take the cart back. Why do so many of us pull the out of God's hands? Why do we want it back? When running a race do you ever see anyone turn around and look at back at starting line? No. No one running a race stops a quarter of the way and turns around and heads BACK to the starting line. Anyone who does would never finish the race. They would have to START OVER! Who wants to start over? I sure wouldn’t, and I don’t ever want to.
Often times the enemy will come at me and try to ruffle my feathers with an anxiety attack and I find that I have stopped walking and I have turned around, and I am looking for that damn cart. Again. I am not alone in this either, many times I have heard people say they were saved or delivered but then a week later are right back to it. Feeling the same pain or going through the same struggle.
.
Why? Why do we do this? Well, first of all we are weak. We are human, and we are prone to fall into weakness.
Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. (Mark 14:38)
We want to do what is easy and want a quick fix. Temptation It isn’t just checking out that fella or that lady. It isn’t just about having lusting thoughts. The flesh wants other things as well. It wants attention, that pity party that comes along with wearing the coat.
I loathe my own life; I will give full vent to my complaint; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul. Job 10:1.
See temptation, the urge to vent, rant, pull others in, so they can sit with you while you show them what's all in your cart. Some of us go and take the cart back only to push it until we get the feeling of deliverance again. We want to live there because it feels SO good.
I once had a conversation with someone, and she told me she felt so great to be set free from and issue she was having. I was confused because just a few weeks ago we had had the exact conversation. I even told this person this, and she didn’t remember and told me, “well I guess bad habits ARE hard to break.” But are they, really? Or are we just turning around and pushing God off the cart so we can take over and push?
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16)
I don’t know about you but when I had to hand my cart off it took A LOT of teaching, rebuking and training. It still does, this walk is not a cake walk folks. We must always be alert and aware of which way we are facing. Are we facing forward, the way to the light, always in the light, never swerving to the right or to the left? OR are we looking back? Walking back, taking the cart back from the father?
I mentioned a race. Imagine running along this mile long path, you started out at the pole with a lake at the end. Now run! Wait, stop. Turn around go back a few feet. Okay, now run. Wait! Stop. Go back. Re-- Wait, okay re-- wait. Do you see it? Do you see how by doing this how long it would take you to get to the actual lake?
The word is here to teach us. To be our guide, so we can finally hand the cart off and just run to the lake.
Therefore, I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.(1 Corinthians 9:26-27)
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age (Titus 2: 11-12)
A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back. (Proverbs 29:11)
I love these two verses! They say so much. I love that the Bible is full of wonderful lessons and how it is a way to keep me in line. It gives me the tools I need to keep from taking my cart back.
A few weeks ago I was part of a woman’s group and in one session something was said that resonated with me. We as people need to have a God centered life and how we do this is we start with the gospel which is our fuel and that fuel ignites our spirit. Our spirit is then ignited, and we get that delivered peaceful feeling.
Without the fuel our spirit starts to go out we find ourselves turning around and looking to take back the cart (our issues, burdens, fears, etc.) We find ourselves falling off the path and back into the fleshly desires of self-pity, dwelling on the past failures, hurts, etc. We start to think we have the strength and power to push the cart. Thus causing the spirit to get dark, and we find ourselves on the wayward side.
This is the moment when we need to open our eyes and look at what we are missing,and most likely it is the gospel. Get yourself back in the Word. Put God back in the center, not our husbands, kids, friends, work, hobbies, only God. You may be telling yourself, “I AM in the word.” but you need to look at what is your center. Remind yourself God has your cart and when anything comes up put it in the cart and walk away. When I say anything I mean anything! Everything should you come against should come with the statement, “Here Lord do with this what you will. I will walk beside you and you give me what I need.”
... Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.(Hebrews 12:1-3)
Look at all he endured! He did not grow weary, tired or lose heart. He did not stop walking. He did not complain. He relied on the Father to guide him and lead him. He is what we should strive to be. If this man could do that why can’t you? He is our example of how we are supposed to live. Not just how to treat people through kindness, but how we should behave when we are weary or tempted, sad and tired. He showed us that even though they may spit on you there is peace at the end of your race.
Most importantly he shows you he has the strength to handle your cart!
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith (2 Timothy 2:4)
