I often read scriptures from the perspective that they are a love letter sent to me directly from the lover of my soul. Therefore, I often hear a message relative to things I’ve had to overcome or am faced with today.

I read where it’s not the things I eat or drink that defile me. Those things go in my mouth, through my gut and then out of my body through its natural function. Shellfish, meats, wine, desserts, junk food and the like do not make me less a person or a bad person. They in no way defile my body unless I become enslaved to them.
The word defile means to spoil, mar or sully a thing. It wasn’t the foods I ate that defiled me for so long but rather what came out of me because I was enslaved to those things. Those things became my god. They weren’t a good god either. They were miserable comforters.

My life experience was being marred and spoiled because I became enslaved to over indulgence. Therefore, I looked miserable. I sounded like I was miserable. I had no energy or fire for God. I had little excitement when the sun rose. After the sun set, I’d typically consume enough calories from junk food alone to fuel a small army. It wasn’t what I ate that was ruining my life but my behaviors related to the over indulgence.
I was miserable and I made everyone miserable around me. After all, misery loves company. I was never happy except those few minutes of mouth pleasure, and then the pain would come. I never wanted to go anywhere and routinely said, “I don’t like people.” It wasn’t people I didn’t like. It was myself I didn’t like and everywhere I went, I was there.

I’m enjoying putting God first these days. Everything else is being added to me. Love. Joy. Peace. I still get to enjoy the occasional liberties too. Dark chocolate with red wine on occasion. An occasional feast. Snuggling with the wife with a bowl of popcorn and a good movie. I just am not enslaved by those things anymore because I have even better things to do.

God, fellowship with the Holy Spirit, loving myself, daily disciplines, loving others don’t defile me. They liberate me and set me free to have an amazing life experience.
Being happy is a choice. Being miserable is usually due to long standing daily habits that don’t begin with putting God first. Put God first, enjoy His grace, stop referring to the letter of the law, know that you are under God’s grace and that all things are free to you to experience as long as you don’t use your liberties like a wolf in sheep’s clothing and/or you don’t become enslaved by anything…..except….
Jesus.

Jesus, today I’m a prisoner of your love and the good life. Thank you for seeing me free from the unintended consequences I dealt with for years and years. Today I will be Steady As A Clock in your name.

A testimony Thursday, September 2, 2021.

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