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The year is coming to an end and though at this moment most people are not reflecting on changes they will like to make in their lives, they will in just a few short days and call it a New Year’s resolution that will not resolve anything for very long. We make pseudo-promises with good intentions but deep down we must know that we are not being true to ourselves. There are some battles that we cannot overcome by mere will power and there are some battles that we can. There are some relationships that will be healed simply by sitting down and having a mature chat to resolve the hurt done to another. And then there are some relationships that will just have to be dissolved. Think about those habits that you have tried to truly discontinue time after time and lost the battle, maybe those are spiritual battles that require more than just your will power. Spiritual battles are not won in the flesh they are won in the spirit. They are won with the Word of GOD. They are won by faith. They are won by JESUS. And this is where we require a deliverance. We all have been there and we all will be there but what irritates me is when people become judgmental because they don’t suffer from the same spiritual battle as another. Instead of judging our sisters and brothers we must first ask them in love, do they want to be helped or have they done anything about their habit? Depending on their answer, the proceeding will be helpful in our supporting our spiritual siblings.

We must bear and share the burdens not run and tell the burdens or shake our heads in disgust at the burdens of our spiritual siblings. We all are or have been overtaken, [taken by surprise] by something that was tried that we did not believe was going to become addictive or habit forming. Food, {not eating to live but living to eat} shopping, {spend money just to spend money} alcohol, drugs, {Rx and non-Rx} sex, {compulsive, masturbation, and pornography} games, {betting addiction} work, [workaholic} and smoking just to name a few. These tendencies for some can be overcome by willpower and those people may never desire them ever again but then there are those who never want to indulge in these activities and they have done all they know how to stop. They are ashamed to speak to anyone and it’s their secret or maybe a few people know because to them, everyone is doing it when in fact it’s only those that they socialize with that approve or indulge in such activity. The Word of GOD teaches us to support our siblings not to tear them down when they are struggling with something that they want to get rid of but don’t have the willpower to do so. We may not have the same struggle in that particular area but what are we struggling with or have struggled with? If JESUS did not deliver us truly the temptation to return may arise and we don’t know the day or hour when that snake may show up. I can always tell when a person stopped doing something with mere willpower, I’m elated for them but what I hear them say is that there are times when the desire to indulge in that old way comes knocking. The taste is still there. But when JESUS delivers, no longer is there a desire or taste to crave at any moment for something that once held us captive. It’s like seeing an entire chocolate cake, if you never tasted chocolate or you tasted chocolate and don’t like it at all (who is that person?) then chocolate is not a temptation to you, it does not call out to you, you have no desire to eat a piece or at the very least taste the frosting of that chocolate cake.

You see temptation cannot have it’s perfect way with any of us unless we have knowledge of what is. Our FATHER is more faithful than we will ever be even though we desire to be faithful we make mistakes, yet, our FATHER remains faithful. JESUS will not sit and allow any of us to suffer the pangs of temptation, HE knows but it’s up to us to realize that we are able to escape those temptations just as JESUS escaped the temptations when satan tempted JESUS in the wilderness. We can bear all things through CHRIST JESUS because we are reminded that JESUS too was tempted and so we are going to be tempted as well. But those temptations will mean nothing to us. And we will support our spiritual siblings if we have knowledge that they have fallen and not gotten up, yet, returned to their sinful habits by asking them if they want help and not talk about them unlovingly. We will be readily available for them when they are ready for our help but in the meantime, we will pray for them to be fully delivered from what has overtaken them. We must learn to be more caring today and in the coming years.

Galatians 6:1; 1 Cor. 10:13

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