Relief. That is what it's all about isn't it? Relief. This is the quest of the human heart. To find a sense of relief in our everyday lives. This is the reason we search, strive, and accept what comes our way. We are simply trying to get back to the garden of Eden. A place of....well....relief.
It's hard to articulate what relief is to us. For some it's finally getting over the addiction. Still for others it's embarking on a new relationship. Yet still for others it's simply having a day where there is not a major catastrophe. Ah yes, relief...how sweet it is!
What we learned yesterday is, "Anytime you compromise for temporary relief, you lose." We are all searching for relief, but sadly, many people find a temporary relief in a myriad of things like addictions, imitations, and relationships. These are not bad people...they are people who are searching for relief.
The problem is when we take a temporary high to try and meet a spiritual need. When we do that, we always lose. Paul said it this way, "When I was a child, I thought like a child, acted like a child, and reasoned like a child. But when I became a man, I put away childish things."
In other words, he got rid of the toys. He cleaned out the toy box. Yes, we like our toys. We like our habits. We like our (you name it). But we also know that these things only bring temporary relief. They don't heal the deeper issues. They don't really satisfy. They're just cheap imitations.
This is where holiness comes in. Holiness is putting away the toys, and looking for true relief. True relief is not found in the toys, it's found in the living God. Holiness is the "putting away" of childish things, and asking God to change you and make you WHOLE!
I want to encourage you today, to begin to put away from you all the things that are bringing temporary relief, and reach for eternal relief. You can find it in God. Total Relief!
Carpe Diem. Seize The Day!
Pastorj
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