Drowning in Excess

As Christians, our minds should constantly be renewed to the point that we are foreigners to our old selves. The world should become a foreign place to us. It should become but a distant memory. We are set apart from the world's way of doing things (thinking, acting, speaking, dressing, looking, tasting, feeling, hearing). The world's way is out of balance. There is no discipline, no self control, or no moderation in the world. Everyone does what works for them with little to no consideration for anyone else. It's all about self. When I was in the world, my number one goal was to make myself happy at all costs; however,I found that my happiness was fleeting. It was unsustainable, because my happiness was based on acquiring things. If I wasn't getting things, I wasn't happy. I was over the top. I constantly fed my flesh whatever it wanted, but it was never enough. I chased everything I could find thinking it would make me happy but with no success. All of that chasing left me an emotional wreck. I remember finding peace for the first time in a very long time. It was in church. All of my worries, concerns, and fears seemed to fall from me. That day marked the beginning of my exodus from the world. Since then, the Lord revealed to me that the world is full of dangerous excess. An excess of entertainment to keep you lulled into a mindless state...movies, Internet, video games. An excess of stuff to make you feel important but keep you in debt...the newest cell phones, big houses and cars, latest technology, designer clothing. An excess of food to keep you over weight and too unhealthy to carry out your God given assignment..., a McDonald's on every corner, super size menus, movie theaters that sell food. An excess of time spent away from home...mom works weekends and then goes out to lunch with her girls, dad works over time and plays golf on Saturdays, and the children are home alone. An excess of sex.. it's everywhere all the time.. music, music videos, movies, cable, Internet, suggestive kid's clothing. In the world, there is an excess of everything, and no one has joy. People are duped into thinking that things will make them happy, so they go after more things, yet they have a fleeting happiness but no joy. They are attempting to fill the God hole in their lives with things that can never give them what they truly want. So they continue to chase. They think, "If I try this one, then I'll be happy." If I buy this designer dress, drive this type of car, and party at this club, then I'll be happy. Still, these things don't bring them that which they are seeking. They chase, they run, they chase and still no joy...no peace. They have been deceived. People are drowning in excess. Drowning in debt, drowning in drugs, drowning in food, drowning in sex, drowning in deception. They chase and they chase. They are lulled in by deception. It backfires, and they are drowned by the excess. I have to thank the Lord that although I came close a couple of times, I didn't drown. If you can identify with my testimony, know that you don't have to remain where you are. You too can return to the Lord. Tell him you're sorry for going off on your own, but now you're ready to come home. Ask the Lord to remove you from your present state. Renew your fellowship with him. Put him first and he will give you his very best.