I Wanna Be Consequence Free

I want to start off by welcoming all my Rock of Ages College and Career friends who are receiving this blog for the very first time---Great to have you here!

The title of this posting comes from a popular Canadian music group BNL (if you want to know what this stands for you can google it!)

I was listening to the radio the other day and this song came on and I began to think about it--and do you want to know something?  I'm pretty sure there is a strong tendency in me to want to live consequence free as well.

It's our human nature to want to be protected from things that will harm us while still wanting to indulge in those same activities.  We say to ourselves: 'wouldn't it be great if I could just do this and not have to pay the consequences?'

So many examples come to mind:  I would love to be able to eat chips and dip all the time, but I don't want to live with the consequence that my jeans no longer fit.  So what do I do?  I keep eating. . . .I know that I can't live without consequences, but I want to!

Of course this is a fairly insignificant example, but we all know that we engage in much more serious things we really like, knowing a price will need to be paid (anyone dealing with crazy credit card debt??).

In our heart of hearts, do we run after things that harm our souls, because we desire those things even though we know they are not good for us?

It's time for a reality check--and yes we can know some things very clearly for our lives and we need to pay attention to them for our own good.

Listen to this from Ephesians 5:8-15
"For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.  Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord.  Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.  For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret.  But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for it is light that makes everything visible.  This is why it is said: 'Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.'"

Have we been sleeping thinking that we can live without consequences?

It can seem crushingly impossible to overcome the influence of our society.  It can seem exponentially harder to change our minds about something.  And it can seem even harder to unlove things we love that hurt us.

If this is ringing true for you today, I want you to hear something loud and clear:  Jesus is able to free you!  It all starts with forgiveness.  He is longing to bring you close to Himself by breaking the chains of those things that you love that harm your soul.  His arms are open.

Have you been frustrated that desire to live consequence free has put a lot of stress and burden on your heart and mind?  How about considering 'waking up' and letting the loving light of Jesus shine on those things so that healing and wholeness can take its place?

I have to admit, that sounds pretty good to me---how about you?

Here's to hoping that today is a day of awakening!

BT