MASTERED OR MASTER?

"The LORD said to Cain, 'Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.'"
Genesis 4:6-7

This is not the first time I have read this, but it is the first time it jumped. Sin is waiting for us, to pounce on us. In I Peter 5:8 we are told that the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour, and as such we must be self-controlled. We must be at a point where we take our thoughts and actions captive and measure them according to God's word. But the second part of the passage in Genesis reminds me of another scripture. We are to master sin. Romans 6:14 says that sin shall not be our master.
As I was driving into work today God showed me how this fits in my own life. I was reminded of Joseph, who when approached by Potiphar's wife, ran out the door (Gen 39:12). Maybe she was good looking, and maybe she knew some tantric art that would have blown his mind, but he didn't wait around to find out. Instead, he became master over sin. And as we see by the rest of his life, God brought great promotion to Joseph in the years to come. To go from a farm boy to prisoner to the equal of the Vice President can only be done by God.
So this makes me want to look deeper at my own life. Being divorced for two years now seems to like a great amount of time at times. But when I compare how I felt on day 1 verses how I feel now on day 759, I can't say I feel as different as I hoped. I still struggle looking in the mirror at myself, still question if I made the right decisions, and still wonder if I could have tried harder. Add to that the questions of if I am raising my kids right and if I am being all I can be for God, and it starts to get overwhelming. But wait, there's more. I feel fat, depressed at times, hypocritical, stagnate, and too lazy to change. I fear accountability because it means I might have do something I don't want to do, or share a part a part of me I'd rather keep hidden.
The seven deadly sins, per the monk Evagrius Ponticus are: lust, gluttony, greed, discouragement, wrath, envy, and pride. How many of these have I struggled with just in the past 2 years? I'd have to say all of them in some respect. But when I gain a clear mind long enough to hear God, I hear Him telling me that sin is becoming my master. I have given in and allowed myself to be pounced on and devoured by the enemy. Just looking at myself in the mirror, I see the effects of gluttony and discouragement. In my eyes I see that drive for lust and revenge, and what I can gain. And I know that my heart is still filled with the 'me' factor, saying, '...I deserve, ...I should have, ...I desire.' The truth is I deserve the reward for sin as told of in Romans 6:23, death.
God is gracious, though. Thank goodness. Thank you God for not leaving me in my pity and wallowing, but giving me hope. The truth is that my eyes are fixed on me and not on Him. Joseph had his eyes on God, and it made all the difference. He was in time promoted to a position that only God could have given him. And the same is true with us. I know for me, I need to re-adjust my focus and seek God (Matt 6:33). In due time, He will promote me also. And I'm not saying that I will be the Vice President someday, but promote me to a place where I am not afraid to look in the mirror because at that point the person I see will be Christ in me, and not the decay of the enemy.
The point of all this is to remind you to not let sin, of any sort, be your master. Rather be master over sin. Keep in mind; we are powerless on our own, which would explain why we get defeated so often. But with God, we have the ability and power to block and defeat the enemy. Let's take mastery over sin. I'm ready, are you? If so, then join me ON THE VANGUARD!

WHY CAN'T IT BE DONE MY WAY?
"But Naaman went away angry and said, 'I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than any of the waters of Israel? Couldn't I wash in them and be cleansed?' So he turned and went off in a rage."
II Kings 5:11-12

It's been about a year now since my last dating relationship. At times I am content with where I am, but at other times the loneliness of life catches up with me. Sure it would be great to have an adult companion to spend time with, spend money on, and share affections with. I would love to have some one to go to the movies with who wasn't restricted to only G or PG ratings. And as awesome as my children are, I long for a conversation that isn't only about Disney princesses and Legos. It would not be wrong for me to have a girlfriend right now. I mean, I have been officially divorced for over two years and it may be time to move on. BUT, there is one thing that prevents me from truly embarking on a dating adventure again.
At the beginning of the year I questioned God as to what His desire was for me this year, 2010. As I prayed I heard over and over again the word FOCUS. And now, half way through May, I can honestly say I still hear that word in my head. There have been a few women that have caught my eye this year, and I have tried to reason with myself that it would be 'okay' to date again, but the voice I heard back at the end of last year still catches up with me.
Naaman may not have been wrestling with whether to date or not, but he was wrestling with his own thoughts. The Bible shares that Naaman had leprosy. Now a young servant girl of Naaman's wife mentioned that he should go and see the prophet Elisha, who just so happened to be in town. Urged again to go by the king of Aram, Naaman took his offering and headed out. After time, he came to Elisha's house. Elisha did not go out to see him, but rather sent his servant out with these words.
"Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleaned."
The answer was given; the miracle was only seven dunks away. But Naaman didn't see it that way. To him the words were dirty. Elisha was used to speak healing but Naaman heard the words, "go take a mud bath." He tried to reason by stating how much cleaner the rivers of Damascus were, only to be reminded by his own servant that Elisha did not say to visit one of those rivers. How many times have I done the same thing, whether with dating or in any other circumstance? How many times has God told me something at my request and I say, "Seriously, that is not the answer I wanted to hear."
When Naaman finally went to the Jordan, and dipped his seventh time, he found God's healing touch. It took Naaman obeying God before his freedom of disease could come. Isn't that what God requires of all of us? Obedience? In my moaning and petitioning for what I think is a better way, I stall my blessings. But, if I would just obey I would find the answer.
I use dating as an example. Yes, I could date, but I would only be delaying myself of the blessing God is and is wanting to continue to pour out on me as I wait and focus on Him. It is hard to see so many out there on Friday night enjoying time together. It isn't a sin for them. But I know in my heart that God has told me this year that my answer is not yet. So I obey. I could be like Frank Sinatra and do it my way, but God is into obedience, and I am into God. Consider the areas where He is asking you to obey. Are you? If not, I urge you to repent and follow God's path. Right the wrongs, and join me ON THE VANGUARD!