Spiritual Detox: Talking about Toxins

Have you found yourself saying, “Soooo, I’m not perfect? I am only human, for heaven’s sake. At least I’m not as bad as what I’m seeing on the news.”

I’m sure we’ve all said or at least thought that at one time or the other. As regretful as that thinking has become to us as believers … here’s the good news: it was that kind of rationalizing and justifying that led me to one of the best things I could do for my spiritual self … and maybe it will do the same for you.

Watch Spiritual Detox with Kim Crabill

Hello everyone and welcome back to Strengthen Your Walk. I’m Kim Crabill …

Last time we talked about the scriptural mandate of 1 Peter 1:16 … to be holy. To cleanse ourselves to become more Christlike. From the Book of Solomon we were cautioned to be aware of “little sins” in our lives that, if they go unchecked, can lead to great damage to our spiritual growth and to our personal testimonies. We began what we called our Spiritual Boot Camp with the first two steps of a Seven “R” Plan. They were READ and RECOGNIZE. Our homework was to read the scriptures presented that day and then to ask God to help us recognize from what or where we might need to be cleansed …

So … how did you do? What did you learn about yourself?

Just as the world is filled with toxins — pesticides in our air, mercury in our water, and chemicals in our cosmetics causing the need for physical detoxing — the same can be said about our spiritual world. Think about it for just a minute … what are some spiritual toxins?

1. MOODiness (rollercoaster of emotions)
2. UNWHOLESOME WORDS (snippy, sarcastic, naysaying)
3. OVERSENSITIVITY (highly charged emotion/totally numb)
4. HIGHLY OPINIONATED (everyone on social media needs to hear my stance)
5. OVERINDULGENCE (food/alcohol/drugs/exercise)
6. VICTIM MENTALITY (poor me!)
7. APATHY (not “I have no plans Friday,” but rather “What’s the use?” apathy)
8. ISOLATING (avoiding others, no energy even to pretend we are OK)
9. AVOIDING GOD (skip church, stop praying)

Many attitudes and behaviors of the world seem so small that we can easily become conditioned to them and fail to see how toxic they are — and how they are being manifested in our own lives.

These behaviors make us blend into the world rather than be different from the world. We must always remember that we are in this world but not of it. We are left here to make a difference, and so we must allow God to make us different. And while we are certainly not expected to perfect, or feel condemned, we ARE called to be cleansed (2 Timothy 2:21).

Just as a lack of early awareness and physical intervention can cause disease to run rampant in our bodies, spiritual issues — when unrecognized and unaddressed — can be just as devastating.

James tells us each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desires and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death (1:14-15).

Please note. Those evil desires that lead to death began as little thoughts … ”little things” that were left unnoticed and spiraled.

But we have decided that it doesn’t have to end that way for us … haven’t we?

We can spiral from desire to death or we can choose to spiritually detox the deathly desire!

God has empowered us with that choice!

I began today by asking what are you discovering about yourself during this process. As you are learning about yourself, however, don’t forget about what you KNOW about God. His love for us is unconditional … and Romans 5:8 tells us that at our dirtiest and in our darkest time … even before we thought about a detox program … while we were yet sinners, He died for us. His love for us will never change. That’s who He is.

Consider His love as you continue to READ the scriptures I’ve given today AND as you ask God to help you RECOGNIZE your unwanted toxins. Friends, detoxing … cleansing to be more Christlike will surely Strengthen Our Walk.

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