IT IS SO MUCH EASIER

I POSTED A STATUS HERE ON FACEBOOK YESTERDAY WHICH WAS SIMPLE AND TO THE POINT.  THAT STATUS HAS BEEN POPPING IN AND OUT OF MY MIND EVER SINCE.  ALL IT SAID WAS "IT IS MUCH EASIER TO BE CONSUMED BY GOD THAN IT IS TO BE CONSUMED BY SIN."  THINK ABOUT IT FOR A MINUTE.  THIS STATEMENT CAN BE APPLIED TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US, IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.
IN MY CASE, IT IS SO VERY MUCH EASIER!

I SPENT MANY YEARS CONSUMED BY SIN.  I RIPPED AND RAN BLINDLY FROM ONE DISASTER TO THE NEXT.  I HID FROM THIS ONE, I LIED TO THAT ONE AND BECAME A MASTER AT KEEPING MY STORIES STRAIGHT.  I OFTEN HAD TO ASK PEOPLE TO COVER UP FOR ME.  EVERY DAY WAS EXHAUSTING BECAUSE I CHASED WHAT I THOUGHT WAS "HAPPINESS" IN ORDER TO "FEEL GOOD."  BEFORE I WENT TO SLEEP EACH NIGHT, I HAD TO FIGURE OUT HOW I WAS GOING TO MAKE IT THROUGH THE NEXT DAY.  MY RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE PEOPLE WHO TRULY LOVED ME WENT FROM SHAKY, TO BAD, TO TERRIBLE, TO ALMOST NON EXISTENT. 

AND I ONLY HAD MYSELF TO BLAME!

MY PARENTS TRIED TELLING ME SO MANY TIMES THAT I NEEDED TO STOP WHAT I WAS DOING.  THEY WERE SO CONCERNED THAT I WAS GOING TO END UP DEAD OR IN SERIOUS TROUBLE.  THEY MADE SURE TO KEEP MY BURIAL INSURANCE PAID AND THEY HATED TO HEAR THE PHONE RING DURING THE NIGHT.  

I WONDER HOW MANY TIMES I TOLD MYSELF "OK MICHELLE, ITS TIME TO STRAIGHTEN UP."  REHAB DIDNT HELP.  ANTI DEPRESSANTS DIDNT HELP.  THE ANGER AND EMBARRASSMENT OF MY FAMILY DIDNT HELP.  NOT EVEN BECOMING INCARCERATED HELPED ME!

I WAS CONSUMED BY SIN!!!!

THESE DAYS, I HAVE BEEN CONSUMED BY GOD!   IT DIDNT HAPPEN OVERNIGHT, I SLOWLY BUT SURELY BECAME MORE AND MORE DEPENDANT UPON HIM, NOT MICHELLE.  BY ATTENDING CHURCH SERVICES FAITHFULLY AND RELYING UPON HIS WORD, I DEVELOPED NEW HABITS.  I LEARNED THAT I MUST REPENT DAILY OF MY SINS AND TO NOT REJECT HIS PRESENCE. 

I HAVE NEVER FELT THE HAPPINESS AND JOY THAT I EXPERIENCE TODAY.  EVERY DAY.  SURE, PROBLEMS ARISE, BUT I TAKE IT TO JESUS.  OF COURSE I STILL HAVE SIN IN MY LIFE, WE ALL DO, BUT I ASK FOR FORGIVENESS THESE DAYS.  I GO TO BED AND SLEEP SO GOOD WHEN I LAY MY HEAD DOWN AT NIGHT.  MY DAYS HAVE SLOWED DOWN CONSIDERABLY.  I ALLOW GOD TO TALK TO ME DAILY THROUGH HIS WORD.  I SEE THE WORLD THROUGH DIFFERENT EYES. 

IT IS SO MUCH EASIER TO BE CONSUMED BY GOD!
I THANK HIM DAILY FOR HIS CORRECTION, HIS DIRECTION AND HIS PROTECTION!

HE WANTS TO DO THE SAME THING FOR YOU.  YOU WOULD BE AMAZED AT THE TRANSFORMATION GOD CAN MAKE IN YOUR LIFE.  IF HE DID IT FOR ME, HE CAN AND HE SURELY WILL DO IT FOR YOU!