Warning: This Moment deals with a subject that you may find disturbing, If you are a christian, and a recovering alcoholic, your use of alcohol is between you and God. This is only an example.
Ok, I have this idea, that says Jesus is always with me, and what I mean by that is he is with me every moment of every day. So, if I am sitting on the couch, watching my favorite football game, I can imagine He is sitting there next to me. Ok, so if I am sitting there, and I want a beer, and I say Jesus, would you get me a beer? My guess is that he won’t do that, maybe he is more interested in the game. So, if I decide to get the beer myself, and I say, Jesus, would you like a beer? He might actually say yes. After all, they had wine back in those days. Now, I would also add, that he probably wouldn’t drink the whole thing, but he might have some, just to be sociable. Ok, stick with me. So, if I decide to have another beer, is he going to stop me? Probably not, though He might say something like; I was hoping you would call your friend in the hospital this afternoon and encourage him. Now, as it turns out, I really want that beer, so I turn away, and go and get it, along with a third for good measure. Ok, so Jesus is still sitting there, and I am now in no condition to call anybody, so he says; Can I use your phone? I say go for it. He dials up another friend of mine, and says, are you enjoying the game? to which they answer yes. He then asks if they have time to call our mutual friend that is in the hospital. They say, sure, it is almost half time anyway. Jesus says, ok, thank you, and they hang up. Meanwhile, he is still sitting with me, although I have fallen sleep after my third beer. He looks over at me and says (quietly); Enjoy your nap. You see, we each have a choice, we can do what we want, or we can listen to His suggestions and act. The good news is, He is really patient, and He almost always gives me another opportunity to listen, to act and to be used to encourage or help someone that needs it. And when I do listen and act, I get to experience the joy that comes from being use by God. That is indeed my desire, although sometimes my old self still desires that extra beer. How about you.
The point I am trying to make here, is that when I turn away from Jesus and make the choice to have that extra beer, I am not following my true desires, but the desires of my old self. It all comes down to who am I listening to. So, even though I may not always make the right choice, Jesus doesn’t condemn me, he just waits patiently for me to turn back around to him, because He is always there.