Drop Dead!

Colossians 3:5Amplified Bible (AMP)

5 So kill (deaden, [a]deprive of power) the evil desire lurking in your members [those animal impulses and all that is earthly in you that is employed in sin]: sexual vice, impurity, sensual appetites, unholy desires, and all greed and covetousness, for that is idolatry (the deifying of self and other created things instead of God).

My husband is well able to fend for himself, to speak up for himself, and to be still when God leads him to be still.  Although I know  this, I still found myself wanting to get on the phone earlier and confront someone who caused him pain.  I wanted to "fight" for him, because, well, sometimes I think I can really explain things in a way that maybe Mike couldn't or wouldn't.  As I pondered making this call, I was reminded (by The Holy Spirit, I'm sure), that my flesh is still too much alive.  When someone just drops dead, it's quick, and sometimes painless.  But when they are "killed", sometimes it's slow and painful.  Well, the Bible tells me that I am to KILL (deaden, deprive of power) the evil desire lurking in my members--my flesh.  The old Michelle, the one that was always defensive and ready to fight, even when I tried to hide it, can never be in charge again.  So here I am.  I will not make that call.  I will deny my flesh the pleasure of being "right".  The truth is that all unholy appetites-even the one that wants to tell our side of the story and demands to be right is flesh, and must be brought under subjection to God's way, or it will only create havoc.  We don't get to have our fleshy side just drop dead.  We have to do the hard work-with God's help, of course.  When you feel like going off on somebody, even if you feel they deserve it, ask God to give you grace.  When you are tempted to watch foolishness on tv, like the Kardashian mess, or one of those Real Housewives shows, where there is a bunch of cussing and celebrating evil, ask God to lead you to something entertaining that you won't have to cringe to watch.  I recently started watching "Hell's Kitchen" on Comcast On Demand, because I do enjoy cooking competitions, but those folks cuss like crazy, and it bugs me. I've been trying to just bear it to enjoy the show, but I've got to put that one to the side.  I haven't gotten this thing down, trust me, but I mean to crucify this nasty flesh so that The Holy Spirit can lead, and I follow without hesitation.