It's not that anyone stole them as they are there...I just don't know where to find them. I think they are hiding so I won't get rid of them. I'm talking about the cookies in my computer. I've forgotten how to find and get rid of the cookies. They are pesky so I'll probably end up calling one of my kids to do the deed! Why is such a simple thing so complex? I have no problem finding cookies in the pantry. They sit on the 4th shelf to the right in front of the Skinny Girl popcorn. Don't worry, they are sugar free so they are "healthy" for me...not! The stores that we shop in seem to have cookies in one consolidated place (two long aisles) and then on the end caps of other aisles plus across the front of the store. Do you think they have a motive for this? For a guy it's like going into the local Harbor Freight and suddenly all of your senses are taken over by the "guy thing" cookie. Cool new everything shouts "buy me" as the first shoe touches the floor inside the door. Same goes for the local hardware store or Lowe's/Home Depot. Doesn't take much for me to buy the "cookie" in any of these places.
There are other "cookies" that seem to wreak havoc in my life. They are categorized as "temptations" and come from any hidden corner of my life past and present. James tells us that temptations accepted and engaged become sin which holds our lives captive rendering us less effective in bringing Christ to our world. It's hard to talk with someone about their weight problem while indulging in an apple fritter! One only needs to wake up and get out of bed for the temptations to begin. "Go back to bed and call in sick (of work)." "Go ahead, push the snooze button for the fifth time." Temptations have this domino effect on our lives. How we begin the day engaging or avoiding the first temptation is a good indicator of our life will be that day. Of course we could redeem the day anytime we wish to give it over to Jesus. How fun is that?! Temptations are all around us stored in the recesses of our mind. We are unaware of their presence for the most part because our world make the temptations "okay". It's okay to be tempted to spend $6.00 for a coffee as we need it to wake up on the way to work. It's okay to buy this or that outfit in order to be dressed for the "right season". With the thousands of rabbit holes and tunnels, temptation is just around every corner.
Still haven't found my cookies. But I KNOW they are there just like temptations ready to wreak havoc in my life. Turning off my computer doesn't get rid of the cookies anymore than going to sleep gets rid of my temptations. When I turn on the computer the cookies are there and when I wake, the temptations are still there. Giving them to God is a daily and sometimes moment by moment event in my life. I don't know about yours. But in my life I have had a lifetime of hiding the temptations for a future date. You know that you do it too. We aren't, in general, serious about the cookies or the temptations or we would do something. It's been said that for "evil to triumph, all that is necessary is for good men to do nothing." Complacency. We aren't ignorant. We aren't innocent. We aren't really serious about taking care of the problem. The problem is that we want to run our lives. We don't want Jesus to run our lives. He may commit us to do something that upsets the wonderful fulfilling lives we have already taken so much time putting together. How could Jesus have something better for us?
So, today, I'll get rid of the cookies and once again submit to Jesus and let him take care of the temptations. I'll fight against it and sin here and there but in the end Jesus is still my Lord and Savior. I'll go to sleep tonight and rest up for the battle tomorrow. I'll remind me that the battle is the Lord's and that he has already won! Pesky cookies!
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