"Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage." Galatians 5:1
It's crazy that we would need to be reminded not to go back to our harmful ways.
But, then again, when I think about dating, that can become an entirely different challenge. Whenever a relationship of any sort ends, many times one or both involved don't get over the entire relationship. Rather than seeing all the destruction that leads one to dissolve the relationship in the first place, one sees all the desire, the other being now perfected through sheer fantasy. In that case, one can no longer resist going back to the one who had hurt him in the past.
When I think about that factor, I can see how we can all wander away from God and back to a life of self-destruction. I know that I personally am a person who enjoys variety in my life, and I could understand that perhaps there are times when we don't like to have everything falling into place perfectly for us. Instead, in order to shake things up, we go out of our way to bring ourselves under a yoke of bondage, under a life that is bad for our physical, mental, and, most of all, our spiritual health.
Perhaps going back to a life of destruction can seem more attractive because some of our friends who enable this behavior are still being left behind. Instead, though, we should try to bring them back to God as we are following God. We should be helping others witness the freedom from the bondage of self-destruction. I know that I try to help friends avoid destructive relationships, especially when they are facing relapses. So, why not do the same for friends to come back to Jesus, to feel the liberty of the light yoke and the peace of mind?
This Lent, think about why you would want to wander away from following Jesus. What's missing? What's attracting you to go astray? Pray to God to lead you not into temptation, and pray for the way out of any situation that would hurt you. Pray for strength in the tough times. Most importantly, though, walk into the light. Seek God in every aspect of your life. Gather good things around you. Fill your life with positivity. Stand fast in liberty.
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