“No one can serve two masters. either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” Matthew 6:24 NIV
I’ve been doing a forty day fast from refined sugar. Each day I’ve been reading the accompanying devotional in the book by Wendy Speake, The 40-Day Sugar Fast. It was only two days ago on day 36, God revealed something to me in my reading.
In the verse above, the word money can be substituted with any other word. Sugar, being one. But I have also been known to spend money on things I don’t need and can’t really afford. Not just recently, but all my life. So I could add sugar and money. But it isn’t just sugar. It’s carbs. I love carbs and eating them bodes ill for my diabetes. So now I have ‘you cannot serve both God and money, sugar, and carbs. Interesting. What does this mean. This is what God revealed to me:
I do not have the spiritual gift of self-control!
It isn’t sugar or carbs or anything else I’m addicted to. No wonder I have been struggling with my dieting and diabetes for years. I prayed for God to help me stop eating poorly and choose better. And I prayed for Him to bless my finances. Now this isn’t a bad prayer, but I should have been praying for self-control. Why didn’t I see this before?
If I realize that my enemy is myself and my lack of self-control, I have a better chance of succeeding at everything in my life. At times I’ve been a frivolous spender and wonder why my finances aren’t better. Food has always been a problem. I was raised with the idea that food brought comfort.
Friday I had lunch out with a friend and chose a chicken tender wrap and opted for a side salad instead of fries. The salad was delivered first. When the sandwich came the plate also contained fries. I ate half of the sandwich and the salad minus the croutons. I should have taken just the half sandwich home, but I shoved the fries in the box, too. Excuse, no need to waste them. Yes, I ate them—every one. The fries weren’t the enemy, my lack of self-control was.
Lack of self-control has undermined me all my life. I have blamed things other than myself. God sort of whacked me on the head and told me to wake up! I’m so grateful He did. Satan knows my weakness is lack of self-control. He will whisper to me I deserve to buy something, or I deserve to eat something. God revealed to me why Satan is able to sneak into my thoughts. No longer! No more deceiving this gal.
Self-control is a spiritual fruit and God will help me to gain this if I stay focused on Him as my only Master.
Carol Ann Erhardt, Author 