At the end of June, I made an important life decision. It was one that I had toyed with for some
time, and even attempted a time or two without success. The reason for the lack of success was mainly
because I was only toying with the idea.
What did I do? I stopped smoking.
I just quit cold turkey, except that it really wasn’t I who quit this
time. Another reason for previous
failure. This time, it was God.
This brings up the interesting and elusive question about how does one give something up to God, or how does one let God work in your life? Those are tough questions I always seem to struggle with myself. I think the first thing is to acknowledge that you need God’s help. Previous attempts at will power failed or were temporary. I’m pretty strong willed, so to admit that is a pretty big step for me, lol.
The second thing I did in this was to confess it to someone I trust in the Lord. Where two or more are in agreement, God is in the midst. Mathew 18:19 Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. This does not say may be, or might be, it says shall be. So, more so than having just an “accountability partner” as I hear so much in churches today, I have the word of God that promises that if we agree in Him, It is a done deal.
Has it been easy? Nope. As I sit here typing right now, I feel like I should be having a cigarette. It comes across my mind at every juncture where I would smoke before. My sleeping has gotten messed up and is only the last couple nights gotten a little more normal again. Every time I stop at a gas station for a pop or fill up, I still want to ask for a pack of smokes. Despite all of that, I already know that this is a done deal. The bible tells me so.
My reasoning is pretty simple, really. The Bible says we need to be wise stewards of what we have been given. Luke 12:42 And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season? This is one of several verses and parables that speaks on being wise stewards with our money. Psalms 24:1 The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. We are only temporary caretakers here.
Just doing a bit of simple math, at current prices it costs almost $200 a month to smoke a pack a day. That’s $2400 a year blown on essentially nothing. If I put that aside; after 20 years I will have $75,000 in the bank. And that is at low rates of return. Just for fun I put rates at the 1970s levels of 18%. That would yield nearly half a million. With wise investment, ¼ million is not impossible. All that just from not smoking.
There are of course the health benefits that everyone is told of. Many of the attributed health issues attributed to smoking are also tied in to a myriad of other factors too, such as processed foods, pollutants in our ground and drinking water, chemical compounds in packaging, and a million other things. The real benefits will come by getting off my keester and doing something, rather than sitting around inhaling smoke.
I sit and wonder though, will these little thoughts always be here with me? 10 years from now will I sit down and have the thought that it would be nice to have a smoke? I’ll find out if, Lord willing, I get there. The bottom line though is that it is already finished. I have the promise of God to stand on. I don’t have to do what my body feels, or some random thoughts say. I have been freed from the bondage that cigarettes held over me.
John 8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
This brings up the interesting and elusive question about how does one give something up to God, or how does one let God work in your life? Those are tough questions I always seem to struggle with myself. I think the first thing is to acknowledge that you need God’s help. Previous attempts at will power failed or were temporary. I’m pretty strong willed, so to admit that is a pretty big step for me, lol.
The second thing I did in this was to confess it to someone I trust in the Lord. Where two or more are in agreement, God is in the midst. Mathew 18:19 Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. This does not say may be, or might be, it says shall be. So, more so than having just an “accountability partner” as I hear so much in churches today, I have the word of God that promises that if we agree in Him, It is a done deal.
Has it been easy? Nope. As I sit here typing right now, I feel like I should be having a cigarette. It comes across my mind at every juncture where I would smoke before. My sleeping has gotten messed up and is only the last couple nights gotten a little more normal again. Every time I stop at a gas station for a pop or fill up, I still want to ask for a pack of smokes. Despite all of that, I already know that this is a done deal. The bible tells me so.
My reasoning is pretty simple, really. The Bible says we need to be wise stewards of what we have been given. Luke 12:42 And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season? This is one of several verses and parables that speaks on being wise stewards with our money. Psalms 24:1 The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. We are only temporary caretakers here.
Just doing a bit of simple math, at current prices it costs almost $200 a month to smoke a pack a day. That’s $2400 a year blown on essentially nothing. If I put that aside; after 20 years I will have $75,000 in the bank. And that is at low rates of return. Just for fun I put rates at the 1970s levels of 18%. That would yield nearly half a million. With wise investment, ¼ million is not impossible. All that just from not smoking.
There are of course the health benefits that everyone is told of. Many of the attributed health issues attributed to smoking are also tied in to a myriad of other factors too, such as processed foods, pollutants in our ground and drinking water, chemical compounds in packaging, and a million other things. The real benefits will come by getting off my keester and doing something, rather than sitting around inhaling smoke.
I sit and wonder though, will these little thoughts always be here with me? 10 years from now will I sit down and have the thought that it would be nice to have a smoke? I’ll find out if, Lord willing, I get there. The bottom line though is that it is already finished. I have the promise of God to stand on. I don’t have to do what my body feels, or some random thoughts say. I have been freed from the bondage that cigarettes held over me.
John 8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
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