A Closer Walk With God?

HOW DO WE GET RID OF UNHEALTHY THINGS?

Many times in our christian life, we find ourselves not walking in God's will for us. Something happens in our life, that causes us to evaluate where we are spiritually. Often times we might feel God is judging us. Is it feelings, or is it spirit convicting us of something? We need to keep in mind that when Christ came, in his words he did not come to judge. Judgement is reserved for a different part of our spiritual life. We have trials and temptations to sometimes grow our faith, and sometimes since we live in a fallen world bad things just happen. It is important that we do not judge others when we see things happening to them. We don't know, and shouldn't be adding or causing a stumbling block to them.

As we look into our own lives, what in our lives may be distracting us? Are we placing unhealthy spiritual things in our lives? One thing I find frequently in my life is TV shows. At different times,

I have elected to not have a TV in my home. Somehow they keep creeping back. Usually, at first, it will be for kids' cartoons, entertainment, etc. However, it always ends with something catching my eye, and I start watching it again. Maybe it is the news, need to know things. It is ok. Scripture tells us there is nothing going into us is sin, but what comes out of us can be. Jesus challenges with it can be our very thoughts of lust, or hate that can be a sin.

This brings us to how do we get rid of things that are not good for us spiritually? Sometimes, they can be an addiction. I find myself just mindless watching things, wasting time that I could be more productive in other things. It can be entertaining, and there is nothing wrong with that. What I find by watching TV though is certain images affect me, stay in my head. Expressions, opinions, sometimes mocking of God, Christians that can be subliminal messages. I recognize them, and it tends to ruin the entertainment, but then I overlook it saying it doesn't matter. However, it is still in my mind at times.

I believe God left us the same instructions that we find in Deuteronomy Chapter 7. Looking specifically at verse 17, If thou shalt say in thine heart, these nations (substitute temptation) are more than I; how can I dispossess them? We need to clarify that our salvation is not dependent on how well we keep commandments. Salvation is from faith in Jesus Christ'sblood, not our works. God gives us gthe race to overcome things, but he doesn't let the grace work on its own. Noah still had to build the ark, still had to get on the ark. We have faith, grace but still need to set aside unhealthy addictions.

So what is God's answer inDeuteronomy 7?

1 When the LORD thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it, and

hath cast out many nations before thee, the Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than thou;

2 And when the LORD thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor shew mercy unto them:

3 Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thoushalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto they son.

4 For they will turn away thy son from following me, that they may serve other gods: so will the anger of the LORD be kindled against you, and destroy thee suddenly.

5 But thus shall ye deal with them; ye shall destroy their altars, and break down their images, and cut down their groves, and burn their graven images with fire.

6 For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.

7 The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people:

8 But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

9 Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;

10 And repayeth them that hate him to their face, to destroy them: he will not be slack to him that hateth him, he will repay him to his face.

11 Thou shalt therefore keep the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which I command thee this day, to do them.

12 Wherefore it shall come to pass, if ye hearken to these judgments, and keep, and do them, that the LORD thy God shall keep unto thee the covenant and the mercy which he sware unto thy fathers:

13 And he will love thee, and bless thee, and multiply thee: he will also bless the fruit of thy womb, and the fruit of thy land, thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep, in the land which he sware unto thy fathers to give thee.

14 Thou shalt be blessed above all people: there shall not be male or female barren among you, or among your cattle.

15 And the LORD will take away from thee all sickness, and will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which thou knowest, upon thee; but will lay them upon all them that hate thee.

16 And thou shalt consume all the people which the LORD thy God shall deliver thee; thine eye shall have no pity upon them: neither shalt thou serve their gods; for that will be a snare unto thee.

17 If thou shalt say in thine heart, These nations are more than I; how can I dispossess them?

18 Thou shalt not be afraid of them: but shalt well remember what the LORD thy God did unto Pharaoh, and unto all Egypt;

19 The great temptations which thine eyes saw, and the signs, and the wonders, and the mighty hand, and the stretched out arm, whereby the LORD thy God brought thee out: so shall the LORD thy God do unto all the people of whom thou art afraid.

20 Moreover the LORD thy God will send the hornet among them, until they that are left, and hide themselves from thee, be destroyed.

21 Thou shalt not be affrighted at them: for the LORD thy God is among you, a mighty God and terrible.

22 And the LORD thy God will put out those nations before thee by little and little: thou mayest not consume them at once, lest the beasts of the field increase upon thee.

23 But the LORD thy God shall deliver them unto thee, and shall destroy them with a mighty destruction, until they be destroyed.

24 And he shall deliver their kings into thine hand, and thou shalt destroy their name from under heaven: there shall no man be able to stand before thee, until thou have destroyed them.

25 The graven images of their gods shall ye burn with fire: thou shalt not desire the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it unto thee, lest thou be snared therein: for it is an abomination to the LORD thy God.

26 Neither shalt thou bring an abomination into thine house, lest thou be a cursed thing like it: but thou shalt utterly detest it, and thou shalt utterly abhor it; for it is a cursed thing.