“God…made me fast. And when I run, I feel his pleasure.” These lines were actually penned by screenwriter Colin Welland in the movie “Chariots of Fire” and not missionary Eric Liddell, but I totally understand the sentiment of the quote.
As a writer, there is so much joy that I experience. I don’t say happiness, because there are times I don’t want to write something that God laid on my heart, because it’s not popular with most, maybe emotionally charged, or difficult to write. Joy doesn’t depend on circumstances like happiness.
Before I started my website in 2023 , I was involved with direct sales. It was my job from home after, I ended a small business making journals. I loved the time I spent in direct sales for a time, for a period of 3-4 years I think roughly before stepping out of it. I knew my time was winding down when there was no longer any peace to stay. I became frustrated. Little did I know, God was trying to move me from just blogging on the side like I had done for nine years , to total focus on the writing projects that He placed on my heart back as early as January 2020.
Here we are over 4 1/2 years later from January 2020 , and projects are still in the works. I have had to learn that even good things do not always equal God things. Just recently in June 2024 , I considered a part time job at church. I was torn between two positions. But in the end, I never put an application in, because God showed me that focusing on writing was exactly what I was supposed to be doing, even though part time at the church didn’t seem like a lot of extra. God said no.
Have you ever experienced the freedom a Christ Follower should have in Christ? I have talked about how I took steps for accountability in other posts over a year ago. These posts are on my blog if you are interested in reading them. There has been such freedom and joy since I stopped making excuses for sin. “I’ll never get free from this. I can’t overcome it.”
Y’all that’s the enemy , Satan and his demons lying to us. We have the power to overcome sin through the reliance on the Holy Spirit. We overcome with every step we take of obedience. What do I mean? I mean you first start reading God’s Word to know what God truly says to us. Then when that temptation you struggle with comes, you immediately go to God in prayer. Ask Him what your way of escape from temptation is . He will reveal it, if you take the time to listen. It often may not be a miracle of taking the desire away immediately. More often than not , it’s a process of checking what you are feeding yourself each day, maybe not physically what you eat unless gluttony/overeating is an issue, but what music, movies, people are you allowing in your life. What are you allowing yourself to hear and see that contributes to you being tempted to sin? Make the choice to obey.
1 Corinthians 10:12-14
12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands be careful that he doesn’t fall.
13 No temptation has taken you except what is common to man. God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted above what you are able, but will with the temptation also make the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
Finding ways to fill that time positively that you use to spend in sin is crucial. Seek the Lord in how He wants you to spend your days. We won’t be perfect this side of Heaven, but doesn’t mean we have to wait to give up those sins that ensnare and keep us in bondage. Depending on the sin you have been involved in, there may be a withdrawal period , that if you truly want to be free, will make you seek the Lord, maybe multiple times a day for strength to obey. The longer you remain in sin, the more the enemy will heap the shame and guilt on you, to think you can never ask God’s forgiveness and come back into a relationship with Him. The Holy Spirit uses conviction to stay “Don’t step that way.” If you have already committed the sin then He calls us to “Repent, turn away. Come Home!”
Romans Chapter 8
1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who don’t walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.* 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus made me free from the law of sin and of death. 3 For what the law couldn’t do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God did, sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 that the ordinance of the law might be fulfilled in us who don’t walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For the mind of the flesh is death, but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace; 7 because the mind of the flesh is hostile toward God, for it is not subject to God’s law, neither indeed can it be. 8 Those who are in the flesh can’t please God.
9 But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if it is so that the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if any man doesn’t have the Spirit of Christ, he is not his. 10 If Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of him who raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised up Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.
12 So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. 13 For if you live after the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are children of God. 15 For you didn’t receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry, “Abba!† Father!”
16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God; 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with him, that we may also be glorified with him.
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which will be revealed toward us. 19 For the creation waits with eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to vanity, not of its own will, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of decay into the liberty of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and travails in pain together until now. 23 Not only so, but ourselves also, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for adoption, the redemption of our body. 24 For we were saved in hope, but hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for that which he sees? 25 But if we hope for that which we don’t see, we wait for it with patience.
26 In the same way, the Spirit also helps our weaknesses, for we don’t know how to pray as we ought. But the Spirit himself makes intercession for us with groanings which can’t be uttered. 27 He who searches the hearts knows what is on the Spirit’s mind, because he makes intercession for the saints according to God.
28 We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For whom he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.‡ 30 Whom he predestined, those he also called. Whom he called, those he also justified. Whom he justified, those he also glorified.
31 What then shall we say about these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who didn’t spare his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how would he not also with him freely give us all things? 33 Who could bring a charge against God’s chosen ones? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, yes rather, who was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Could oppression, or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 Even as it is written,
“For your sake we are killed all day long.
We were accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”✡
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from God’s love which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
God has a life so much better than whatever we can dream up. If He calls us to “follow this way”, or “Do this task.” He isn’t calling us to face the overwhelming task alone. Many times the task of writing can be overwhelming and difficult. I often experience “Writer’s block.” I have to pray to the Lord for every word I write, to give me the words to say. Sometimes after I pray, the words come smoothly. Other times, the “block” remains because I must wait to write. Maybe I am not meant to write or share that piece. If I was to write it that day, maybe I would share before God’s timing or the writing would feel forced.
Example: This post was on my heart yesterday to write, but every time I tried, the words felt forced. Only certain pieces were there. You are now reading the post I started typing early this morning.
Sometimes you must wait for God’s timing. That is important. Whenever I feel overwhelmed or impatient about writing projects and I experience that block, I have to remind myself to wait. The Lord gave this beautiful image to my mind months ago. God is still working even when I am having to wait. Like a father in a wood shop, always hammering and cutting. Sometimes a child comes in saying, “I want to help.” Maybe the father gives the invitation to “Come and sit on my lap.” The young child sits and the father places the hammer in child’s hand. The child may not have the strength alone to hammer the nails in the board, so the father places his hand behind theirs to help.
God doesn’t expect us to live our lives perfectly nor independent of Him. In fact, it’s impossible to live a life that pleases Him without seeking His Help. The purpose of our lives are to know Him and make Him known to others. Every day can be exciting, when you wake up and ask the Lord if you can be involved in His Work.
Ephesians 2:1-10
1 You were made alive when you were dead in transgressions and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the children of disobedience. 3 We also all once lived among them in the lusts of our flesh, doing the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, for his great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him, and made us to sit with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus; 8 for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, that no one would boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before that we would walk in them.CD
There is no greater joy than that, but bondage to sin, will keep you busy and distracted from the life God intended you to live. Are you ready to experience life as God intended ? Then lay down the sin, lay down your hopes and dreams at His Feet asking His opinion and only pick up the ones He wants to remain. If you are pursuing a relationship with God, then you won’t have time for those things that get you off the path God has for you.
The Joy of the Lord can be your strength even in life’s most difficult and challenging circumstances, if you allow the Lord to be a part of every step you take and not just during a church service each week. Life is waiting. He is waiting… will you accept the invitation to join Him?
*All scripture is from the World English Bible.
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