Can the Truth Really Set Me Free?

Did you know that 90% of the thought we have daily are repeat thoughts from the day before? I guess I shouldn't be surprised by that. How many times have I found myself in the same spot, beating myself up for being right back where I didn't want to be. I often feel like my whole life is Deja Vu! 

How did I end up right back where I don't want to be? Why did I think this time would be any different than before? Why do I continue to hand Satan ammunition? He loves nothing more than to send my into a spiral of shame. Why do I take the bait?

I remember somebody once telling me that your heart has decided ahead of time what you are going to decide. The Bible says this over and over again:

James 1:14 tells us that when are tempted it is our own desires that pull us away from God's plan

Mark 4:19 tells me that the cares of the world can get a stranglehold on my heart

Galatians 5:17 Says that the flesh is set against the Holy Spirit

The truth is, I cannot trust my own reasoning. The minute I begin to think about what I should do, is a minute to late. I knew before the temptation presented itself what I was going to do. If I am thinking it through then I am justifying the actions I have planned to take. It began in my heart. 

Once I have taken the action, Satan is ready to pounce.

So what do I do?

Start with the end in mind. Plan to be victorious over sin before you are tempted. Focus on the feeling of victory that the Holy Spirit is ready to walk you through. Let go of the lie that it is every going to end differently.

5 Things you can do to walk down the road to victory each day:

• Make an appointment with God to start each day and keep it.
• Find a verse you can memorize each week and recite it through the day
• Pray for 10 minutes a day and plan your moments of victory with the Holy Spirit by your side.
• Don't look to the world for the answers. Focus on the spiritual battle.
• Keep running forward even if you fall. The point is to keep going forward.

2 Corinthians 2:14

“Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ,

Hope Wirta

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How to Overcome Habits? Know Thyself.

 

I have always loved to play video games. When I was in my 20's I played computer games when you had to type in the words. I know this dates me. If you have ever seen the movie "Big" with Tom Hanks you know what I am talking about. He is playing a game on his outdated computer at the beginning of the movie. 

I recently purchased a Nintendo Switch and immediately purchased the latest version of my all time favorite game, Pikmin. Being a bit on the obsessive side, I played the game every chance I got, until I had beat it. Then I proceeded to conquer all the mini games. I was so sad when I finished the last one. When I found myself playing the game at 2AM to try and get a perfect score, I knew I had reached an all time low. I had lured myself into thinking it wasn't that bad, because after all, I only played for 10-20 minutes at a time. I added up how many times I had sat and played the game that day and it floored me. I wanted my time back. Does this sound familiar. It's no different than calories or dollars that add up when we waste them in little bits over long periods of time. I turned the game off and gave the game system to my grandchildren to enjoy. I have enough to overcome in my life without adding another habit to kick.

It did get me to thinking. What if like the game I learned to change my environment to help accomplish my goals. We all know some of these tricks; not having tempting foods in the house, keeping  your credit cards in the freezer, or placing your running shoes by your bed. The problem comes when you are so use to stepping over the shoes that this becomes the new normal.

What makes me put the shoes on?

It has to be more work to not put the shoes on and work out, than to step over the shoes and live with another day of feeling defeated? I am certainly not going to drive 20 minutes every hour to play Pikmin at my daughters house. How embarrassing would that be? and there is the key!

Addiction thrives in secrecy and dies in good company.

Changing our environment is a great first step. A great second step is to force myself to live in transparency with others. Now when I say others, I don't mean people that say what you want to hear and make you feel better about not moving forward. I mean people who love you and are willing to say things that are hard to hear. Those are the golden few. 

Proverbs 27:6

Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses

My prayer for you today is that you will find those that will live in transparency with you and help you to create habits that bring victory to your day!

Hope Wirta

Catching Bubbles

Everyone loves bubbles. My youngest grandchild is no exception. Recently he and his mother visited for a few weeks, and this became a favorite pastime. I watched as my grandson ran around the yard chasing bubbles, popping them and impatiently waiting for me to blow more, this was my designated role.

When they returned home, his mother, being smarter than I, purchased a bubble blowing machine. 

He loved to chase and pop the bubbles, however that game grew old and he moved on to new heights of bubble fun. He found a bucket and decided that if he could catch the bubbles it would be twice the fun. He grabbed his bucket and began the chase with new determination. Being a toddler and not understanding the nature of bubbles he was in for a world of confusion. You have probable already jumped ahead to the disappointed little face as he turned the bucket over to see his prize, nothing but suds in the bottom of his bucket.

He however was not to be detoured. He grasped his  bucket more firmly, stared the bubbles in the face and ran with more determination, catching as many bubbles as he could. He stopped and stared in disbelief. Who kept taking all his bubbles? Where did they go? Where was the fun?

Eventually the bucket was discarded, and before long he was back, stick in hand popping bubbles, or moving on to chalk, sand and other toys, lesson learned, bubbles can't be saved for later, they are meant to enjoy for brief moments in time.

My mind wandered to the millions of times I have pinned all my hopes on a new diet, self help book or habit breaking scheme. The promised joy of transformation building in my bucket just waiting for me, until once again I was left with an empty bucket and remnants of promises. 

Lasting change doesn't come from the outside in, it comes from the inside out. Filling my bucket with empty promises never brought me the promised joy. Lasting joy came from abandoning the bucket and walking with the Spirit, submitting to his leading one choice at a time. True peace came from realizing my bucket was symbolic of the approval and expectation of others It was never going to fill up or give me what I was looking for.  I needed to let it go and allow God to show me that that He had better things waiting for me.

Hope C Wirta

 

Wherever you go "there you are"

 Several years ago I sat down and began a journey. I wanted to write a book. All my life up to that point (I was 50 at that time) I had longed for someone to come along side and help guide me toward freedom. I wanted to find freedom from calories, carbs, credit cards and well, ultimately from myself.

Looking back as I begin the process of a re-write I realize this journey's end isn't in lowering the scale or having some money in savings, it is eternal. I learn, have victories, have set backs, move forward and trip along the way, but  what I thought was the finish line has moved, a lot.

I thought I was trying to lose weight. I thought I was learning to manage money. I thought...... My thoughts are not God's thoughts. Just overcoming my fears is much to small a task for Him. He has so much more in store for me than a good day on the scale.

As I begin re-writing this book I have just a glimmer of the "joy set before us", and it's so much better than I ever could have imagined. An eternal perspective changes everything about today.

Hope Wirta

Philippians 3

 But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.  What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in[a] Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.