This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live – Deuteronomy 30:19 (NIV)
Recovery groups (like Overcomers) have lots of sayings and clichés, but you know what, most of them are actually true and that’s why they become clichés. My favourite one is “Make the next right choice.”
A lot of people, Christian or otherwise might argue whether or not we actually have real free choice, but the simple fact that we are commanded to choose by God indicates that God thinks we have a free choice, and personally I’ll go with God’s opinion on this one. And knowing that God actually respects us enough to allow us a completely free choice humbles me because I realize how much nobility and respect God has imbued on us.
And so this free choice is beautiful, but it also opens us up to being able to make bad choices. And if we’ve made a lot of bad choices, especially where we have an addiction or destructive habit, it can feel overwhelming trying to get out of it. The first thought is usually, “How can I go the rest of my life without _____ (porn, drugs, relationships, etc)?” Most people feel so overwhelmed that they usually don’t even make an attempt. But what they miss is that they don’t have to go the rest of their lives without, they just have to go one day.
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. – Matthew 6:34 (NIV)
All we have to do is live one day at a time, today. But even today, all we are responsible for is the next right choice. And Jesus teaches us to choose well through grace.
For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. – Titus 2:11-14
So make simple good choices and even if you’ve made a wrong choice, still make the next one a right one.
It is absolutely freeing to know that we are only responsible for one choice at a time, that God wants us to make good choices, and He helps us do just that.
overcoming sin is hard but worth it, I live a celibate life not interested to extramarital relations of any kind at this point. I long for intimacy but can not handle the way that society deals with it ie porn, various partners, premarital sex. It actually appalls me at this point in my life. I have overcome this and other obvious sins. Need to work on my smoking and weight problem though. One sin at a time.