Let's Choose Life and Blessing
My friend called me the other day all excited because she
had rediscovered her Charles Capps book "God's Creative
Power for Healing" which talks about confessing God's Word
concerning healing until whatever disease condition disappears.
"My blood pressure medicine is more expensive now and I
need to get off of it. I'm really going to confess the Word and
get my healing," she said.
I said, "Sarah, I'll tell you what will help in addition
to confessing the Word (because I had been fighting the same
battle). First cut way down on your salt intake and eat more
vegetables and fruit. And get out and take a 30-minute walk every
day."
"Leave me alone!" she shouted from the other end of
the phone line.
"I've got to have my salt."
We had a good laugh about it. But her reaction is typical and
reminded me of this article I wrote many months ago.
We don't like to admit it, but it is the truth. We often don't
walk in the light of what we know to do. And if we don't do that,
confessing the Word will not help us much. We need to discipline
ourselves as well as speak to the "mountain."
In the book of Deuteronomy, Moses speaking for Almighty God
urges us to make a choice. Deut. 30:19. "I have set before
you life and death, the blessing and the curse; therefore choose
life that you and your descendents may live."
We in charismatic and pentecostal circles think, "Well,
that's just what I say with my mouth. I'm supposed to speak words
of life instead of words of death."
We get in a threatening situation and we start speaking what
God says about us, "I'm healed by the stripes of Jesus."
"My God shall supply all my need according to His riches
in glory."
And we ought to speak those words over our lives and the lives
of our children every day, not wait for disaster to come.
What we have and enjoy in our lives, our circumstances, good
or bad, are truly determined by what we speak. We are in control
of our destiny, according to the word of God. - Of course, if
people really believed that, we would be speaking good things
over ourselves and our children with every breath.
But there is another point to be made here - our lifestyle and
our actions must harmonize with what we are speaking - with God's
Word - to have a good outcome.
I am referring mainly here to the area of health and healing,
but the same is true in finances, relationships, and every other
area.
We need to be speaking God's word over ourselves everyday in
the area of health and we need to choose life with our actions
and behaviors. What we sow in the area of our lifestyle - our
health habits - as well as what we say, is what we will reap.
When you get up in the morning, determine to choose life that
day instead of death and self destruction. God has given us a
precious body as His temple to dwell in. Let's not destroy it
with the behavioral choices we make.
Most of us know rules of good health - eat right, low sugar and
only healthy fats, get enough exercise (at least 20 minutes of
walking daily), get enough rest. Don't harbor anger, resentment,
or unforgiveness. Rid yourself of tobacco and alcohol or drug
addictions. Find a way to get rid of the extra weight if you
have to fast it off. (Dr. Colbert says fasting just three days
a month can add 5 to 7 years to your lifespan.)
We need to be aware that with behaviors each day we are choosing
life or death.
Ministers sometimes want to judge and condemn Christians who
smoke - yet they themselves are carrying around 30, 50, or 100
pounds of extra weight. Both addictions, tobacco and, for overweight
people, sugar (in all its forms including white bread and pasta)
are choices for death and not life.
People who can't get rid of their own demons, or don't want to,
are not likely to help anybody else get rid of theirs.
Let's examine ourselves each day as the day begins - now what
am I going to sow for my future today? Am I going to sow life
and health or self destruction and death? Am I going to indulge
my appetite and flesh with whatever it demands, whether it's
a pack of Marlboros or a 1/2 gallon of Mayfield's Moose Tracks
ice cream?
Or am I going to say, "No flesh - I won't allow you to kill
me with overindulgence. I am in control here, not you. My spirit
man is going to get strong, through the Word of God and prayer,
and wrestle my future out of your control. I am this day choosing
life and not death.
Of course, the sooner the better, but whether you are 18 or 90,
it's never too late to make that choice and reap a good harvest.
Copyright © 2007 by Sandra S. Turner
Reprinted from Singles Scene/Spirit & Life, a monthly
magazine for Christian singles
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