Friends and neighbors

I have been thinking some about why us people have a hard time following rules sometimes.  In my line of work giving people a bunch of rules or laws, a set of “do’s and dont’s”, usually produces a pretty poor success rate.  When most people think of “getting fit” or healthy they usually first think of all the things they “cant do” and the things they are going to “have to do.”  This basically makes up their list of rules or laws.

It doesnt matter what area of life it is, following that set of do’s and dont’s is just pure out tuff some times, and it is true that a high percentage of people fail at following the list.  In light of this I want to use the wisest man in the history of the world as our teacher today: Jesus Christ.  There is an example of him giving someone a “list” of rules, but he gave them a very important KEY of power for actually being able to follow through.  In John 8 there is a story of a woman caught in adultery and some people wanted to kill her because of the “law”.  So they basically wanted to test Jesus so they asked him if they should follow the “law” since she broke the “law.”  He basically told them that the one who had not broke the law themselves should be the first one to cast a stone.  We all know the story and that all of them left.  There is a whole lot in this one little story but the one thing I want you to see is this powerful key Jesus gave.  He asked her if anyone had CONDEMNED her, and she said no.  Jesus said (now catch this): “NEITHER DO I CONDEMN you: go and SIN NO MORE.”

Many people may overlook the most powerful part of what HE said and go straight to the fact that He did tell her to “go and sin no more.”  Yes He did tell her that, but He first said NEITHER DO I (condemn you).  It is only by the power of forgiveness and “no condemnation” that we can “sin no more.”  And yes we will mess up, but that is not the focus.  The focus should always be on forgiveness and “no condemnation”. 

If you “mess up” realize first and foremost that God, through Jesus, has already forgiven you and He does in absolutely no way condemn you.  So knowing that, you must absolutely not “condemn” yourself if you mess up.  No that you are forgiven, forgive yourself, then move on forward.  Staying in condemnation will only bring you down further, guaranteed.  Take this lesson today, I know I am, and learn from it.  Keep on keeping on.  ANd remember, with HIM as your focus, the only way you lose the battle of health, finances, relationship, work, etc is to give up.  So simply dont give up.  Forgive yourself, and GOOOOOOOOOO!

YOUR HEALTH, YOUR LIFE, YOUR CHOICE  Godbless u kj