Mastering our passions

Sometimes our emotions appear to be uncontrollable, they master us at times. . . we find ourselves doing not as we would have wanted in some situations.  It may be a natural intolerance of another, or a strong magnetic pull towards someone or something. The desire may be invading our thoughts, and screaming for attention. Yet try as much as we can to expel those feelings they seem to remain.  This is our 'self' and often we find that 'self' battling with our inner spirit.

Self control is a strong virtue and can make us feel conquerors, daily battles have to be waged and won.  Defeated sometimes we hang our heads shamefully before God and ask once again for forgiveness and strength to face another day. 

Early this year I was on a detox diet, my eating was revolutionized by cutting out all the toxins and things that my body may have had some intolerance to.  This was hard until the decision was made and determination was mustered, not to give into self.  I held to the diet for a period of over 3 months.  Not only did my body benefit but also my spirit, as I felt a true victory in saying no to chocolate, as well as rich and highly spiced foods which had been poisoning my system over long periods of time.

Sometimes a person is strong and has such monumental self control, we can only stand 'gob-smacked' in awe.  But doing what we know to be right sometimes does not bring peace in entirety.  Our passions still cry out for attention, we feel we have been obedient to Christ and yet still we suffer, the fight can become a daily battle fought moment to moment and sometimes breath to breath.  Self hatred and disgust can begin to eat away at our peace of mind.  We feel defeated and lose our confidence as true Christians. We have two choices: to turn around and let self have its way; or to battle on armed with the 'Sword of the Spirit', in the hope that eventually self will give up moaning and screaming in our ear.  'I am not a 'good Christian',  is a cry often given.  I hear this said fairly often then I know in my soul that there is no such thing as a good Christian.  Christ came for sinners and those who stumble -  those such as I.

This battle with self/flesh has led many over the centuries to become very puritanical, and sometimes to even punish the flesh by whippings, fasting and sometimes even enforced solitary confinement.  Subjecting the flesh to things that it quite honestly finds repulsive in the hope of subduing it and allowing the Spirit to reach ever higher towards God.  But God is there already helping us to work through the situation.  Self is screaming so loudly for attention that we may not hear His voice, yet He is gently dealing with us.  Christ loves the sinner but hates the sin, having the ability to see us as we will be, rather than as we are.  He sees hope when we sense defeat.  He didn't wait for us to become good before offering us salvation.