The Choice

When spirituality is viewed as a journey....the way to spiritual wholeness is
seen to lie in an increasingly faithful response to the One....
*whose purpose shapes our paths,
*whose grace redeems our detours,
*whose power liberates us from crippling bondages of the prior journey (our past), and *whose transforming presence meets us at each turn in
the road.”

M. Robert Mulholland Jr.
Invitation to a Journey

The way to spiritual wholeness lies in response to the ONE who knows me better than I know myself. Even when my response isn't "increasingly faithful"- when I'm not walking on the path of God's provision, God is still there. His grace redeems my detours. It is His power that liberates me from the crippling bondages of my past. In this case, that would be running to food instead of Him when I'm stressed. I've done that a few times this week. Wherever I am, it is HIS transforming presence that meets me at each turn in the road.
He is always faithful even when I am not living from that surrendered place. His purpose shapes my path. Sometimes it is three steps forward and two steps back. It’s part of my journey. Just because I’m not experiencing all the freedom that He died to give me doesn’t mean it’s not real. Discovering how to walk in that freedom is part of my journey.
The freedom to not eat when I’m stressed but instead run to Him and tell Him everything I’m feeling is something that I have the freedom to choose. It may seem foreign to me because I have run to something else (namely food) for so long.
What would it look like for me in the moment to choose not to eat those chips I just got
out of the pantry? Maybe I need to ask myself some questions:

1. Is there a habitual response going on right now? What habit have I developed that makes me think I need to eat right now?

2. Is my flesh rebelling against what is God’s best for me?

3. Is my present response to food rooted in my past?

4. Am I trying to alleviate the pain of old wounds by turning to food at this time?

Maybe I’ll only remember one question. Maybe I’ll only remember to run in His direction. He will meet me at that turn in the road or anywhere in between. It doesn’t have to be an all or nothing kind of thing which is a major flesh pattern for me. “If I can’t do it all right then I might as well give up.” Even writing that looks ridiculous! But how often am I deceived into making that choice? Every choice matters-this one and the next. Through His Spirit in me, I can choose His way. I chose this morning to journal instead of staying stuck, instead of believing the lies of the enemy. What else will I choose on my journey with Him today?