What do you do when you have a thought you shouldn’t be having? To be sure, we all have them… the real question is what we do with them? Sometimes I’m guilty of holding on to one for a moment or two, somehow gaining illicit pleasure from the “thought” of whatever is tempting me. If it was tempting enough, the pre-Christian Jim would have figured out a way to pursue it! As a Christian though, even giving safe harbor to sinful thoughts is in itself a sin. Instead of fanning these thoughts into flames, we should be throwing cold water on them! No matter when it comes, and no matter how subtle the temptation, the Spirit has helped me learn to assassinate unholy thoughts. That’s right… to identify them as sinful and kill them as soon as they rear their heads! What you do with the thoughts that tempt you will do more to determine the intimacy you have with Christ than any other thing I can think of. Whether you memorize Scripture to recite when you’re tempted, or immediately begin to call on the Lord through prayer, you’ll find that Jesus will bless your willingness to embrace Him with a fresh anointing of His Spirit. The pleasure you’ll get through Him will blow away any “bait and switch program” offered by Satan!
“Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” Galatians 5:25
In Christ,
PastorJimKilby @Kilbin8er
Jim@JamesKilby.com
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