Repent – And Clean Out the ‘Freezer’
I love ice cream. But every time I eat a bowl in the evening, I regret it the next morning when I step on the bathroom scales.
Unfortunately, I still have the rest of the half-gallon in my freezer.
How much do I truly hate the weight I gained? Enough to throw away the rest of the Publix Premium Mint Chocolate Chip? Or do I justify keeping it and promise to change my ways after I finish the container? Do I cling to what will pull me right back into the behavior I want to avoid – even though the bathroom scales warn me to consider the consequences?
Obviously, there’s nothing wrong with enjoying a bowl of ice cream now and then. I’m using my ice cream story to illustrate a point. What if we replaced “ice cream” with a destructive habit, a secret sin, or something you know you shouldn’t have on your shelf or in your drawer?
Maybe your vice is a toxic relationship. You can’t bring yourself to delete this person from your contacts because you’re unsure if you can (or want to) live without them. You pray for God’s help, but you’re not ready to let go.
What happens in the meantime? Between the moment you first realize you’re dishonoring God and the time when you finally choose to repent?
Every hour – every minute – that we delay in acting on our repentance increases the risk of making other harmful choices and, even worse, moves us further away from the person Christ is calling us to be. The person Christ died for.
What if, instead, we immediately got rid of the “ice cream”? What if we agreed with Romans 6:2 (ESV):
How can we who died to sin still live in it?
The consequences of sin can be harsh, but they’re not the worst part. The real problem is how sin damages our relationship with God. Sin separates us from our loving heavenly Father.
Rather than asking ourselves, “Are the consequences of my choices worth it?” we need to ask God to help us hate our sin. To hate how it grieves a holy God.
What if we hated our sin so much that when we repented, we also asked for grace and insight to know how to keep from repeating the same disobedient mistakes?
Every time we refuse to remain in our sin, we move closer to the life God desires for us.
And every time we die to sin, our days are better – even better than four scoops of Publix Premium Mint Chocolate Chip.
Before I close, I want to share a quick update with those who’ve been following my writing journey…Several weeks ago, I mentioned that Abundance Books wants to publish one of my children’s books! Like most publishers, Abundance Books asks authors to have a strong following. If you haven’t already, please join my Author Email List by sending your name and email address to the address below. To everyone who’s already joined—thank you! We’re at 591 contacts and steadily growing toward 1,000. I’m so grateful for your support!
Sheryl H. Boldt is a sales executive for Wave 94, a faith columnist and the author of the blog, www.TodayCanBeDifferent.net. Connect with her at SherylHBoldt.Wave94@gmail.com.
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I truly love your columns. They give me something to think about the entire day. I certainly have “items” in my freezer. I am working very hard to improve my ways and to have more space in my freezer…
Hi, Karen!
Thank you for your compliment. It’s encouraging to hear how God is using my column.
I, too, have “items” in my freezer and, like you, am always asking God to show which items He wants removed.
Welcome to Today Can Be Different. I hope you’ll stop by often.
Believe me when I say, I, too, love ice cream. I try not to buy it, but when my husband does it makes it harder for me to resist! He just bought Chocolate Trinity at Publix. It’s the best!! Although my favorite is still Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough! I definitely have a sweet tooth, so I can relate, Sheryl! “to put off your former way of life, your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; / to be renewed in the spirit of your minds; / and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” Ephesians 4:22-24. Thanks for reminding me of my own vices so I can repent! I’ll pray for you; can you pray for me!
Thank you, Kim. Our destructive habits and secret sins are destroying us. So the verse you quoted in Ephesians fits perfectly with what I was trying to say in my post.
I will pray for you (and thank you for your prayers for me) that we will “put on the new self … in true righteousness and holiness.”
Let’s ask God to help us to hate our sin – and for grace to keep us from repeating the same disobedient mistakes.
Good morning Sheryl I appreciate your post. They are always so uplifting and make stop and search my heart. Having prodigals in our lives has brought me closer to God,because I know I have to be right with our Heavenly Father before I approach our daughters. I am thankful God is a forgiving God. As it tells us in in 1st John 1;9 If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and cleanse us of all unrightousness.
You are SO right, Susan. We must humble ourselves before God so that He can remove the plank in our eyes.
Thank you for your sweet humility, my friend.
Hi, Sheryl, you wrote “What if we replaced “ice cream” with a destructive habit, a secret sin, or something you know you shouldn’t have on your shelf or in your drawer?” Practically all of my 70+ life, I have been biting my nails and sometimes it gets destructive. But I said enough of that, no more! Now, I am “sober” for over three months! Praise be to God! (With Thanksgiving coming up, that was cold turkey, wasn’t it?? 🙂
Hello, Carlos! Always nice to see you.
Haha … that was indeed cold turkey!
I rejoice with you, Carlos, on your overcoming a destructive habit.