This is what happens when I’ve not blogged in a while – I have a bunch of stuff to tell you and end up with a scattered post trying to cram it all in. So I’m only going to tell you two things before I write about the subject that inspired me today : demolishing strongholds.
We’re in Brittany again. Those of you who have been following me for a while will have read this before but I’ll say it again because it’s not something I knew when I first moved to France. Brittany, called Bretagne in French, is an official Celtic nation, and it’s on the northwestern coast of France bordering Normandy. Great Britain is simply a migratory extension of Brittany. You can click here for some fascinating information about Brittany and the Celts.
So we had our annual date night in Saint Malo and ate here.
Seafood – which I’m not always in the mood for, but I was this time.
Here is a pretty street with a Frenchman in a beret.
Plus a street artist. (She’s painting that sign).
This residence is from the early 1600s and is now a hotel. It was noteworthy at the time for its good use of space. Saint Malo is a closed city and space was scarce, so this architect built tall and lean. The hotel was bombarded during WWII as they attempted to liberate the city, and was later restored. My mother-in-law worked for the architect who helped rebuild the façade of Saint Malo after the war.
Yesterday, we went to my favourite beach, and it’s one of the places I dare to swim. The water is still frigid but the sand is white without too much algae or sharp shells. Technically there are no weaver fish hiding under the sand, although my nephew did get stung once. The view is spectacular.
So that’s our vacation and I’m loving the combination of family, relaxation, and even the writing because I’m able to be more creative when outside of routine.
The other thing I wanted to tell you is that my publisher has permanently reduced the price of my Regency, which is great news. There’s always been a discrepancy between traditional publishing prices and Indie prices and I love that my publisher is adapting to the changing publishing industry. People don’t want to pay high prices for kindle books. So. You can now get A Regrettable Proposal on kindle for $3.99, which is half off the launch price. I’m almost done with the sequel. One beta reader is critiquing it right now even though it’s missing some scenes and I’m working on the second draft while not at the beach. I know you’ll understand why my blog posts are few and far between.
And now on to demolishing strongholds. When I became a Christian almost 24 years ago, I changed a lot of things right off the bat. The character things took longer and I would say that, apart from reading the Bible and listening to advice, the greatest contributors to any characters changes were a) going through the Chemical Recovery program for alcohol addiction b) marrying Matthieu, who is gentle and full of grace c) time.
However, there are also a few scriptures that took root and guided my character early on. The first is one I held on to when memorising Ephesians 4 and 5 one night when I couldn’t sleep because of anxiety. This is the scripture in Ephesians 4:29
“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”
Afterwards, whenever I was tempted to respond or give advice, I would question whether it was wholesome (no coarse joking), whether it was helpful for building someone up, whether it was according to their needs, and whether it would benefit them. It saved me from many impetuous and unwise speeches. My family sees the worst of me, so this is not perfectly absorbed, but it’s a major character change that occurred because of a scripture.
The other one is this. In Romans 14:4. “Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand.”
My nature is very critical, but every time I’m tempted to be critical of someone’s behaviour or judgment, I remember this scripture and I think – to God they stand or fall. And it’s in His interest that they stand. Who am I to wish their downfall? I don’t resemble Jesus at all when I’m like this, and it stops my critical nature dead in its tracks.
So I know the changing power of the scriptures. Those are just two examples – the most striking of all the scriptures that have changed me over the years. Lately it has come to me that it’s time I try to dislodge another character issue and it’s my approach to eating. I am much more gentle with myself now than I used to be. Even though I gained back about 10 of the 25 pounds I lost due to stress, plus my gym closing, I still love this body of mine – the squishy-ish hugs I can give, the four babies it carried, the happy smile.
So it’s not out of self-hatred. It’s just that I seem to have outgrown the desire to overeat and often do it more out of habit than desire. It’s a stronghold. But 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 says that strongholds can be demolished, even after 24 years.
“For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
So I’ve decided to attack this stronghold. I’ve been studying from the Thompson Chain-Reference Bible and am looking at ones under Self-denial (I’ll include the references here in case you have one and want to look them up) 3205 and 3208. Temperance and Intemperance 3567. Abstinence 3568. Self-sacrifice 3224. Restraining appetite 3207. Self-control 3569. Self-indulgence 3198. (There’s a lot of the word “self” which might be a clue to the problem. Ahem.)
I’m looking for those Scriptures that will come to me unbidden – the way Ephesians 4:29 and Romans 14:4 do – and change the course of my character in this area. So far, the only one I know by heart from of old is this one:
Proverbs 23:2 “and put a knife to your throat if you are given to gluttony.” However, that one doesn’t really motivate me – go figure.
I think it’s scriptures like this that help: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” Galatians 5:22-24
I need to remember to focus on the fruits of the Spirit, which should be evident in increasing measure as the years go by – more love, more joy, more peace, more patience… and more self-control. If I’m not changing and growing in self-control, there’s a chance that I either have no faith that I can demolish a stronghold from my youth or it’s not something I have no deep desire to change.
But, you know, it’s a shame to miss out on the promises of God to be free from the passions and desires of the flesh if it’s completely within my power to change it. (Don’t get me wrong, I’m no aesthetic. God gave us this world and this body to enjoy, but there’s enjoyment and there’s excess).
Then there’s also this scripture, which is good guidance:
“For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 2 Peter 1:5-8
This, incidentally, is an in-depth study we do with teens who ask to start studying the Bible. We don’t get right into discipleship, sin and repentance, the Crucifixion, etc. Instead, we look at each of these character attributes separately.
I think they’re in a perfect order. You need to start with faith. Otherwise, why change? Why repent? To that, you need to start working on good deeds, which prove your repentance. Then you need knowledge of the scriptures to continue to feed your desire to do good (and your faith). Then you need self-control so you can make yourself small and Christ, who is living in you, great. Of course perseverance must follow because it’s not going to be easy. As you do these things, your godliness (God-likeness) grows. Then you’re able to live in brotherly kindness, wishing the best for your family, neighbours and brother and sisters in the faith. And then you come to love, which is the most self-sacrifical of all.
This is something that motivates me to change. To exhibit in increasing measure this self-control that leads to perseverance and godliness and brotherly kindness and love. To look more like Christ now than I did two decades ago.
However, there are a couple shorter ones that I can memorize and pull out in the moment of bad habit (eating mindlessly).
For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— because anyone who has died has been set free from sin. Romans 6:6
Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh. Romans 13:14
Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price.Therefore honor God with your bodies. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
So this is what I’ve set my heart on right now – growing in this area and demolishing a childhood stronghold. I feel a little clumsy wielding these spiritual weapons, and I’m not sure which scripture will have the most effect. I can only trust that they will have an effect.
Thanks to all of you who are still here, new readers and old. I appreciate you.
Additional reading for those who are interested in this topic, but who don’t have a Thompson Chain-Reference Bible. The list is not exhaustive. It’s only the ones I’ve looked at so far.
Proverbs 21:7
Luke 8:14
Proverbs 23:20-21
Galatians 8:8-9
Proverbs 25:16
1 Corinthians 9:27
Proverbs 18:20
Proverbs 16:26
Ecclesiastes 9:7
Ecclesiastes 8:15
Acts 24:25
