Children

(photo Coutesy: http://geary.ucd.ie/preparingforlife/?page_id=57)

To be with a child is therapeutic and safe for the soul, than being with an adult. Children are so innocent, so oblivious of matters like judging others, thinking wrong of others, self-pity or slander. They are so free and make people who spend time with them, free. Jesus’ words on children come out to be so pertinent in this context:

"Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven"

Matt 18:3

Led by the Spirit...

Acts of the sinful nature not just include things like sexual immorality and drunkenness, but also things we (or many of us, including me) consider a very normal human response.This include: hatred, discord, dissension, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, faction, envy and debauchary. 


Debauchery: excessive indulgence of sensual pleasures (the sense to see, touch, smell, taste  and feel)
This includes excessive eating/craving for food/fashion/clothes/perfumes etc.. We have a general tendency to limit sensual pleasure to sight and touch, but as we see, this is not the case.

I confess and realize, I DO have these in me:

I harbor bitter hard-core HATRED 

I stir up DISCORD quite often

My thoughts and responses often lead to DISSENSIONS 

I do get JEALOUS

I do indulge in DEBAUCHERY

I almost always have FITS OF RANGE, yes, I am very easily provoked

I harbor SELFISH AMBITION very frequently

I have a tendency to join FACTIONs

I am utterly impure and seek cleansing. Galatians 5 says: "Live by the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. They (sinful nature and the Spirit) are in conflict with each other so that you do not do what you want." 

God knows that even when you and me WANT to do good, we cannot, unless we submit to Him and ask the Spirit to lead us. 

May I pray humbly before you, O Father. I need your help. I submit to you. Help me live by your Spirit!

 Lord I have seen many wise and learned men fail utterly in life, around me. So, I realize that it is not wisdom or knowledge that makes one stand. But, it is only by (foolishly, even if soemone may call it so) submitting to you and by learning that I am nothing before you, O Perfect One!

Senses

Senses

Its amazing how the human sense organs work - the sense to taste, hear, smell, see and feel? All  work together in perfect harmony to form what is called our perception of the outside world. Thus, these tangible faculties facilitate our formation of the worldview. Interestingly, these senses are subject to the control of the individual who owns them. Therefore, ultimately, it is the mind who has to decide what one should taste/hear/smell/see or even feel, but not the senses.

Thus, biologically, WILL is placed about WANT. So, these questions arise:

1. Is it possible to train the mind to decide first?
2. If so, how will it know what to decide? In other words, what is above mind?

We live in a world where senses are fed and nourished. The mind takes it's backseat. As long as he/she can (which is literally "as looong as the senses exist") "life" goes on. When all these fails, the individual in the end loses the master (controller), not knowing which direction to take, not even knowing that one could have had control over one's life.

Fearfully and Wonderfully made...

"I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works; that I know very well"(Psalm 139:14)

It is not only joy, but a matter of wonder to watch my child grow. Today when I see her utter intelligible words like "Dadda illa", "Mamma illa" at 18 months of age, I realize how fast and how much things have changed with her since the first day she entered this world... she could barely fix her gaze on anything! Not even me! But, today, how does she REASON that when I kiss her on one hand, she can get another one on offering the other... how does she reason that breaking rules is being naughty... phew... all this proves to me without doubt that man is "fearfully and wonderfully made"... I would be blind, unreasoning, thoughtless and ungrateful if I say that all this happened by mere chance.

Thank you God.