There Is Power In Turning Away – It Takes Discipline

Very often, we talk about “what we need to do that we may get or receive” from God which is not bad because we need to receive from God; however, it is also truth that sometimes what we need to do is ‘turn away’ which we hate to hear and appears to be tough but therein lies power. I have found that the real power or strength of a believer lies in his knowledge of what he should not do and his ability to ‘turn away or not do them.’  The more one lives the more there is to know about God and this has nothing to do with how intelligent or dull one is. Indeed, intellect, if not properly channeled, may pose a problem to knowing Him. I just wonder - can anyone fully know God? He is mysterious. No wonder the scripture says He has to be sought to be found. God is simple yet very deep. He is truly without ending. Simple as He is, if you interpret Him like man, you will never touch the depth of Him. No wonder it takes been quiet in one’s spirit to know Him. People of hasty spirit will easily misjudge God; like Job’s friends who got into trouble with God. If you want to really know Him, you have to make diligent search in His word and then believe your findings. You have to believe for Him to reveal more of Himself and believe enough to turn away. Turning from what He says to turn away from takes believing the word that says there is need to turn away from whatever it is. If we make the decision, grace enables us.

 

Titus 2: 12 “And we are instructed to turn away from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God.”

 2 Timothy 1: 7 “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love and self-discipline.”

 Isaiah 1: 17a “Learn to do well.”

 

The things we abstain from because of God make us most powerful. We must learn to deny ourselves. Doing what God desires of us is something we must learn because it does not come to us naturally to do well; it is “acquired taste” available to every born again believer. It is only to the extent that we learn to do what is good in God’s eyes that we can then express it. The discipline to say 'no' despite what we feel is a must for every believer when faced with the option of either “turning way or doing what one feels.” It is sad to observe that we often choose the lesser option which is to do what we feel like and sadly that is the bane of my Country today; a Country full of church going believers yet making almost no impact.  Self – discipline/restraint is powerful and until we learn these things we cannot access most of what God ordained for us because the real power of a believer to access, fully, the blessing that God commands upon Him, is in what He is willing to turn away from. It is easier “to do” than to “turn away from” yet God calls us to that life of turning away from. Turning away, not from the things we dislike but from those He dislikes including some we may desire ourselves. Unfortunately for example, a lot of us would rather fast for 40 days than say no to self. For this is self- denial, without which we cannot follow Jesus. Any gospel that teaches us that because God understands our frailties, He will understand and accept that we continue in sin is not the gospel of Christ. Any gospel that tells us that wickedness is okay because it is as a result of our character weakness, is also not the gospel of Christ. Christ demands that we be transformed. Our refusal to deny self has cost us the true gospel and is going to cost us the loss of an entire generation coming behind us whom we have lied to because we have taught them a gospel that accommodates any and every thing; a very intelligent gospel which is in truth empty and is unable to reveal Christ in any life. Christianity is indeed, in trouble. The gospel of Christ cannot be intellectualized. Please don’t even try. No brain has the capacity to comprehend the depth of God. One has to be foolish enough to accept this reality for Christ to be revealed in them which then allows them access and receive the Holy Spirit who works the expansion of our understanding by giving life to our spirit man.

 1 Corinthians 3: 18 “Stop deceiving yourselves. If you think you are wise by this world’s standards, you need to become a fool to be truly wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God.”

Proverbs 5: 21 – 23 “For the Lord sees clearly what a man does, examining every path he takes. An evil man is held captive by his own sins; they are the ropes that catch and hold him. He will die for lack of self-control.”

 Hebrews 12: 11 “No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening-it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.”

 Self-discipline is not the easiest. I want to drink coffee or eat cake anytime I feel like, which is often by the way, but I have to learn to say 'no' to myself. Most evil people are evil because of lack of self-control. Very often, the difference between a kind person and those we would like to call evil is the fact that when the kind person thought the evil, he brought his mind under control enough to expunge the thought and deny himself; but the one we refer to as wicked could not discipline himself enough to stop himself. Please let me add this, waiting for an extended period is not patient waiting. Patience has to do with attitude while waiting. Attitude is a key ingredient for it be patience.