I’m sure you’ve heard of the metabolism cleanses and other similar diets. For these diets, you restrict your food intake very severely so that you have absolutely no preservatives in your diet. It is supposed to cleanse your system. Fasting does something similar- it purges all the toxins from your body, which is healthy to do on occasion.
The month of November, I am trying to do a spiritual cleanse. And I’m telling you because I need accountability (and I’d love to invite you to join me if you want)!
I am seeking to use the month of November to be intentionally putting to death any provisions for the flesh, leading me to learn to depend wholly and fully on the Lord. Similar to a metabolism cleanse, I am trying to remove any fake preservatives from my life, which means that I can only depend on the Lord.
And the Lord has already worked in ways I NEVER expected.
It all started when I decided to do “No Make-up November.” I’ve never felt like make-up has been an idol for me, but I do feel more confident and pretty when I wear it. I don’t feel particularly insecure when I’m not wearing it though. However, the Lord convicted me that if I truly wanted to see if it was an idol in my life, the easiest way was to completely remove it from my life for a period and see if it was an issue.
After deciding that toward the end of October, the Lord continued to challenge me. I have so many sources I use for comfort! When I have an I-feel-fat day, I turn on certain music; when I’m stressed I do certain activities or talk to certain people; when I feel insecure, I’ll wear certain clothes or seek attention from certain people- it’s pathetic, really. I’m turning to creation and not the Creator. The Lord has truly challenged me to check my motives in my actions. I want to seek to abide in Him and love Him more intentionally. I must learn what things stir my affection for Christ, versus which things take away from my dependence and admiration of Him.
Additionally, He has convicted me to be more intentional with people around me, as well as my relationship with Him. As much as I seek to encourage other people, am I truly seeking after opportunities to be a blessing and encouragement to the Lord? What does He say He delights in? Do I rejoice in that? In my interactions with people, am I seeking to stir their affections for me, or for Christ?
Needless to say, November is going to be a challenging month for me. If I am hesitant about doing something (my motives in it, if it may be a provision for the flesh, if it is less than beneficial)- I’m going to try to cut it out. If there’s doubt, cut it out. And it’s already SO DIFFICULT! But SO SO SO rewarding. They say it takes 28 days to form a habit, so hopefully this will help me to habitually question my motives and examine my heart.
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