As funny as the joke is pridefulness in seeking validation in any form other than from God has cost terribly the lives that self-indulgence has gripped.
Have you ever spent more money than you intended just to fit in with others?
I have. In fact, most of my 20’s I spent all my hard-earned money trying to look the part to be accepted. BUT, our Incredible Father is merciful. Over the past nineteen years as a person trying hard to learn from God to be who He says that I am, God has confronted me by helping me deal with the root-causes of insecurity that drove self-indulgence to be validated by others. Most of which are nowhere to be seen anymore. You know the types, “There for the good times…..”
Over the years, God has had to crush me to get honest about why validation from others was more important than having my life saved into eternity through a relationship with Jesus.
Amos 6 vs 1-8, has some hard hitting truths for us to reflect upon. Hopefully, to help us adjust our behaviour, attitudes, and priorities to be aligned to God’s Business versus our needs being pampered.
Amos 6 vs 1-8 is pointing out our self-indulgence that parades itself whilst the plight of others continues around us.
“You only live once,” is a terrible escapist phraseology to keep its user avoiding accountability to God whose modus operandi has always been mutuality-consciousness over self-glorifying self-determinism.
Whether we are in the height of economic success (Zion), or a servant to those with that success, and our focus is on the false sense of security of that brand-mentality, or comfortable in the midst sin (Samaria), the alarm-bell should be loud. Proverbs 16 vs 18, screams at us, “Pride comes before the fall.”
Notice Amos 6 vs 3, “You refuse to admit that a day of disaster is coming, but what you do only brings that day closer.”
Our actions have consequences!
God wants us to have a blessed life, BUT when God blesses us, He expects us to use that to bless others, care for His Church, and reach lives for Him to save.
The lie of, “You only live once,” is a mechanism to hold us captive to indifference towards the lives calls us to live. Matthew 16 vs 24,Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.”
‘Psychology Today’, Leon F Seltzer PhD, ‘From Self-Indulgence to Self-Nurturing’, has some great considerations about self-indulgence.
‘Self-Indulgence
It’s something like making a pact with the devil. When we self-indulge, we obtain the object of our desire up front. But the “bill” for such self-indulgence— i.e., the associated “costs” of our intemperance—invariably arrives later. These longer-term costs exist on a continuum from mild to severe, but only rarely can they be escaped. We may find out, for instance, that what we’ve chosen to help make us feel better has damaged our lungs (e.g., nicotine), or our liver (e.g., alcohol). Or that our self-indulgent (or addictive) habit has—directly or indirectly—injured our most important relationship.
Self-Nurturance
In my addiction workshops, I’ve sought to demonstrate to participants the sharp difference between self-nurturance and self-indulgence. Writing on the chalkboard these two contrasting terms, I put directly below the first designation, “dessert after dinner,” and then, just below the second, I add, “dessert for dinner.”
As opposed to self-indulgence, self-nurturance fosters both the physical and psychological health requisite to our happiness. Here we’re not “treating” ourselves to something that in the moment makes us feel better but ultimately is bad for us. We’re not looking for a quick fix to alter our mood or consciousness so as to escape the boredom, drudgery or pain of our existence, or to drown out nagging doubts we have about ourselves. Rather, we’re addressing our inborn needs for self-succor—but in an adult, responsible fashion.
When we’re self-nurturing, the way we take care of ourselves is loving, respectful and prudent.’– https://www.psychologytoday.com/za/blog/evolution-of-the-self/200806/from-self-indulgence-to-self-nurturing?amp
However, God is merciful. God wants to redeem us from our self-serving attitudes. Galatians 5 vs 13-26, “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh ; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
We can turn from self-indulgence, by meeting the needs of others, our church, our communities, and our nation.
Matthew 25 vs 35-40:
“I was hungry and you fed me, thirsty and you gave me a drink; I was a stranger and you received me in your homes, naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you took care of me, in prison and you visited me.’ The righteous will then answer him, ‘When, Lord, did we ever see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you a drink? When did we ever see you a stranger and welcome you in our homes, or naked and clothe you? When did we ever see you sick or in prison, and visit you?’ The King will reply, ‘I tell you, whenever you did this for one of the least important of these followers of mine, you did it for me!’”
Pray this:
Father God,
Where I have made blessing about me, and indulged myself to escape developing into who You say that I am, please crush that pridefulness in me. Help me to be a true follower of Jesus by denying myself and living the way You desire for me. Forgive me my wrong thinking, attitudes, and self-centeredness.
Messiah King Jesus, please be my Lord and Saviour, Fill me with Your Holy Spirit so that I can be led by The Spirit of Truth into Your Righteousness and Holiness.
Holy Spirit please illuminate in me all areas that God calls pride, helping me to overcome them to be more like Jesus.
In Your Holy Name Messiah King Jesus
AMEN
#Hayibo 