Forward

I felt like God wanted me to send an email today. So I did. It was about something that I really knew he'd taught me and then suddenly I decided he wanted to teach someone else too. Now I think perhaps I will tell you, just in case it is relevant:

When I quit smoking I did not at first succeed and then, when I found myself doing it and keeping it a secret because everyone at church thought I had stopped, I felt a lot of guilt and shame. God really spoke to me about this. It is a huge area in which Satan has power if we give it to him. The way I started to look at it was that I was already falling into a trap of temptation by giving in to the desire to smoking, but if I also felt guilty about it then that gives the devil a double victory.

So I would encourage you, as you tackle this issue, to not give in to the second temptation. God will help you with you addiction and He does not judge you for it but loves you despite it. You have no right to feel bad about yourself as you are loved by God and your path is in Him. Seek after Him help, tell Him you can't do it, but don't tell yourself you are rubbish or can't succeed or have failed. He is the God of second chances, and third and fourth...

So that is it. If you are going to smoke, try reading your bible as you do it. I did and I felt like I was give the finger to Satan because even though I was struggling in one area it did not keep me from seeking after God. And I think it is one of the ways that I was freed from need because it helped me give the issue more and more to God. He can see us in everything we do so why not do it in front of Him and be open about the problem.

It is in the loneliness and guilt that the strong hold comes, don't let Satan keep you down.

There you go. Combining the ease of not having to write a new post with confession! Good for the bedtime and the soul. Note that you can insert for "smoking" any sin, vice or temptation. I know I do!

Ciao ciao...