I'm with you, Lewis. I started smoking at 16 and smoked for a few months then stopped for a whole year-using my coin collection to buy a pack for .52 cents when I started. It was 29 years later that God took the desire to smoke from me. After I wouldn't let Him rest (in prayer) until He did. It's an amazing thing; how circumstance will get us motivated. Nothing motivated me-I had enough money to buy them-it did not bother me to spend that money-actually The Truth is: waisted that money. I felt alright-so my health wasn't being affected. I had the problem of living right now and not believing that I could be harmed in the future. And God had saved me that day and a few days later I went back to smoking. But it's true, our desires. Whew...they got me every time. At times I felt like I could preach even though I was still smoking. I heard that one in particular famous preacher did just that. Smoked-behind the scenes-and preached. So I didn't have a motivation. Until one day; the motivation-presented itself-and I had to have The Truth-Just the Truth.
Even, as a child, I had asthma. Don't remember not one second of it-and have not suffered with asthma at all period, except I don't like breathing much of anything except air and for years now, have stuck to that as close as possible.
But what if...we knew The Plan God Had For us...Jer. 29:11-13 What if...we could walk in a better and/or different life than we have now-even while still living on this earth...The Lord's Prayer: On earth as it is in Heaven...What if we knew The Truth. What if we were like Saul (I was-to a degree-before I was saved) I didn't persecute or kill an adult to their face-but I thought to myself...yeah...you are all perfect-you Christians. You haven't lived my life. You haven't walked in my shoes. You don't know anything about me.
The Truth for me was that-I wanted a better life than what I was living but I didn't know how to get it. I was not willing to do what I heard the Christians saying. Give your life to Jesus. Oh dear. It's the only life I have. What can He do? He is in Heaven. I'm here. And so, I lived with all the doubts and desires of my flesh that wanted, eventually, to kill me. I was not willing because I was scared!
And The Truth for me was that, until the motivation was presented, I would not be changed and I would not-not only would not-but could not-walk in all that God has planned for my life here on this earth and be Under His Care...See when I start drawing near to Him-He draws near to me and He is not of "this world". He loves "the world" and everybody in it all the same. He is no respecter of persons. He sent Jesus for all of us! The difference now comes: Am I going to Seek First The Kingdom and His Righteousness and Find out exactly what He has planned for me-because His Word says and all this shall be added. My my. Seems like I need to get close to Him to find out. I would venture to say this for anybody-just as with my life-I'm in just as much shock about what's happening and what God is doing in my life than anybody! And I've heard it put this way-In order to get more of You, God...I need to give you more of me. So True!
Much love In Him,
N.