Sisters in Christ

Having sisters in Christ is so very important to me. I met with Diane again this past Saturday, and I SO needed it. Having other friends in our life that are following Christ and trying to be obedient are so important to have. I needed reinforcement. Back up, basically a smack upside the head. Someone who knows how to back everything up with scripture.

Basically what happened to me before was I gave in to temptation. I gave in to sin, and it grew big and it grew fast. Before you know it, your right back into the sin you were in before. That's what happened to me.

God provides a way out, I just didn't take it. He was there all along. Of course I have learned from it. If I give in to the thing that enslaves me I will go right back to being enslaved once again! Just like quitting smoking. You can't go back and just have ONE cigarette. It just doesn't work that way. It's the same way with this.

I have been sent a few email devotions in the past week, one of them was basically about getting rid of temptations. Just getting them out of the house so I am not tempted by them. What a concept that is. I guess I just needed a reminder.

Another one I got either today or yesterday I found really interesting, it was about Agape Love and Phileo love.

Phileo is defined as a brotherly type love, tender affection, true friendship. Agape love is a sacrificial and giving love, it's the laying down your life for another person type of love. The devotion talks about Jesus and Peter and how Jesus asks Peter if he loves him three times and Peter always answers yes. But what it really was, was Jesus saying, "Peter do you Agape me?" and Peter saying "Yes lord, I phileo you!"

This really hit me because that's basically what I have been doing to God. Yes, I love you, but not enough to give up my chocolate. Yes, I love you but I still want to follow my flesh and live in sin.

Diane said something that hit me this weekend too, it was about God hating sin. She said, God hates sin because it hurts us. Obviously he hates it because he's holy, but he also loves us to pieces and doesn't want us hurting ourselves. I like to think of it that way. Just like my children and I. I try to protect them, and hold their little hands, and tell them to do the right things, but sometimes they don't listen and they get hurt. But I love them anyway and hope that next time they will make the right decision. Thank you God for being so patient with me while I fumble around, thinking that I know what I'm doing but I don't. Thank you for giving me so many more chances then I deserve, for loving me so much that you will speak through other people to help me understand and know you.