A little bite is all it takes

Are you a bread lover? A chocolate lover? A candy lover?

Have you noticed the more you age, the harder it is to lose those extra pounds?

Have you ever been on a diet forcing yourself to eat more fruits & veggies and stay away from your favorite breads/carbs?

You begin to lose a little weight and then you open the refrigerator and are tempted to eat just a "little bite of a bagel". After all, a little won't hurt! 

So you eat the "little bite" and are really not satisfied so you go back and eat "another" little bite. But by the end of the day, you've eaten the whole bagel and possibly a couple more! 

The next morning you jump on the scale, praying you didn't gain any weight..and whew! You didn't....but then weeks down the road, after continuing to eat foods that are unhealthy...those favorite jeans are filling a little snug. It didn't happen over night but it sure did sneak up on ya.

After feeling disgusted after cheating on your diet for so many weeks, you promise yourself that you are going to do better and work harder at losing weight, and you will have the will-power to eat the right foods only to go back to the same "weighty" issues you've been having *sigh* (I know this all too well in my own life)

Sin makes us feel the same exact way. It takes only a little taste...we think we are in control yet we continue to do it because it has not taken any effect on us. Sure, we feel guilty but we continue in it. And then the condemnation comes, feeling ashamed, and not worthy, not righteous, not anything! We regret sinning and ask for forgiveness but still have the "affects" of what sin does. 

Sin packs on that extra weight because the more you do it, the more you want to do it...just like eating the wrong foods. It's a dangerous cycle. 

When we know where our roots are grounded in God, then we know that we can have the authority over any situation, over any sin, over any addiction! We have the power on the inside of us and we are MORE than a conqueror!!! 

We may miss the mark one day and slip up BUT we don't need to continue to "mess around" in it!  Repent! Forget it! And move on! 

When your roots are established in God, then you know that you can possess the fruits of the spirit: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, & Self-control.

Do you notice that self-control is listed last?

When we possess the other 8 fruits, then self-control just falls into place.
Having self-control is not something you strive to have, it's something that you already do have! 

The Greek word for self-control is "egkrateia" and it means strong, having mastery, able to control your thoughts & actions.

When a thought comes into our mind, we need to examine it. Cast it out if it's negative! And you will know if it doesn't line up with the Word of God, then it's probably not a thought to be pondering on. Replace those thoughts with "I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST BECAUSE HE GIVES ME THE STRENGTH".

The best thing to do is to GIVE NO PLACE for SIN to enter...

If you can't handle having those bagels in your house, then don't buy them.

If you love Oreo cookies, leave them on the shelf at the grocery store.

If you have issues watching "love stories" and feeling lonely after watching it, then stick with comedies. There are ALWAYS alternatives! 

It's easier to say NO to yourself the first time, then to continue to think about how good that bagel will taste. And it's easier to not let your thoughts go there before consuming the whole loaf of bread. 

Keep your roots grounded and pray that God show you how to do what's right. He sent the Holy Spirit, not only to be our Comforter but to be our guide. He can guide you into all truth about the correct way of eating, the correct way to save money, etc. He's just not all about "heaven"...He's here to help you LIVE on this earth! But you have to know who He is and what He does and tap into those resources!