White-Knuckled Christians

       Philippians 4:13 (KJV) I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.


The Hubster and I talked to an Christian acquaintance a few years back. He was struggling with a sinful habit that he just couldn't beat. "I'm doing everything I can," he said, "I can't seem to stay away from it." We could almost feel his desperation. It was like he had his hands on the steering wheel, holding on for dear life. This guy was white-knuckling it.

We've all been there. There is something in our lives that we know is keeping us from a deeper relationship with the Savior. We really want to give it up. Not thinking about it, avoiding old triggers and negative reinforcement aren't working for us. It seems like the tighter we bear down, the harder the temptation is to resist.

And so we give in. Again and again. The downward spiral of failure puts us in a tailspin. Our intentions are honorable. We just can't seem to shake that nasty habit. Is it a lack of faith? No, it's a lack of GRACE. 

Philippians 4 reminds us that we can do all things...and that's where we get mixed up. We start thinking that we can take care of stuff ourselves, and not bother God about our "little problems." We miss the middle (and the meat) of that scripture, "through Christ."  When we release control over our minds and bodies, He stands ready and able to meet all our needs.

In the second chapter of John, at the wedding at Cana, Jesus turned failure to success when He turned water into wine. We've done the best we can. It's time to stop white-knuckling. Open your hands, and give it to God. He handles everything a lot better than we can, anyhow.

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This Friday is the Arkansas City Relay for Life at Wilson Park. It starts with the Survivor's Lap at 7 p.m. and goes on until 6 a.m. on Saturday. There will be food, live music, a silent auction, poker laps, and lots of fun. The Female in Motion tent will be beside the playground on the north side of the park. Please stop by and encourage me and my team: my mom, Marilyn, my sister, Donna, my nephew, Nick, my besties, Deanne and Samantha, and my best guy, The Hubster.
 
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Female in Motion Exercise Update: I did three 20-minute Wii yoga workouts and walked one mile three times last week. I have noticed that my posture is starting to improve with the yoga, and I have lost more weight since changing my diet last week.

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Notable Quote:

"The unfortunate thing about this world is that good habits are so much easier to give up than bad ones."--Somerset Maugham, English playwright