Discerning Whitewater

Have you ever wished that you had the self-control to say no to that peanut butter rice Krispie bar at Kwik Trip? Or that second piece of cake? Or that third beer? Or that woman? Or your kids? 

You get the picture. 

I have had so many light-bulb moments over the last ten years or so.

Probably the biggest “negative” feedback I receive from conservatives over Discerning Whitewater is that I bring up my faith way too much.

I do not see that stopping. My goal is to convince you to investigate Christ. As Jesus says, my responsibility as a follower is to plant seeds.

So the light bulb moments over the last ten years…. I will share a couple with this blog post. Mind you, I hope to write this with humility. If you know me, you know I have quite a ways to go; however I also hope you see the love and peace in me (at least some of the time 😊) to make you think about it…. 

It was 2017. I was in a (Christian) men’s small group. A guy I met recently (and still is a close friend) – we will call him “Paul”. Paul recited Galatians 5:22-23:

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

My response, “What? I have the ability to pursue self-control with 100% success?” Crazy.

Truer words have never been spoken. Mind you, I have a testimony filled with what happens when you lack self-control. 

Wisdom is the same thing, you just have to ask for it; however that is a story for another time.

There are many attributes needed in our society; few are more needed than self-control. Think about it.

Imagine if (these could all be for me 😊):

• You had the self-control to spend less money than you made consistently.
• You had the self-control to love your enemy when your enemy is attacking.
• You had the self-control to go to bed early and get up without ever hitting snooze. (This last week, the planet Venus in the eastern sky has been amazing just before sunrise.)
• You had the ability to consistently take in less calories than you put out. (According to studies, you would live 40% longer – no kidding.)

Let’s keep going with this. Imagine if:

• Our government had the self-control to spend only what it needed. We might completely eliminate inflation. (My hypothesis is that inflation is a measure of the self-control of a society.)
• We (as individuals) refused to borrow money (other than maybe a mortgage). The demand would drop so quickly that prices would be manageable (low demand and high supply equals lower prices).
• We talked our kids into paying cash for college. College costs would come down so quickly our heads would spin.
• We all had the ability to say no to addictions. What a world that would be.

Here is the irony!  All of this can be yours, and more! No kidding!

You know who does not want you to know this? The people you pay $800 per month (for 84 months) for your truck loan. The government that wants to own you thru six figures of student loan debt. The snack food companies… damn those peanut butter rice Krispie bars!

I write all this with a testimony full of what-not-to-do; and it is a journey with daily wins and setbacks; however, being “born again” is a very real thing. And the best part is…. You will not even miss any of it!  You will have more peace and joy in your life every single day.

So crazy, isn’t it?  It starts with action on your part. Maybe a prayer, “God I beg you to help me with …..” And see where God takes you. Maybe he guides you to a friend or a church or a group.

I say this to my Christian friends all the time…. The first step into Faith is to get out of denial. Admit there is a Creator to this beautiful universe… that this didn’t all happen by accident.

Call me. I will talk to you about it. Peace and love,

-mike

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I apologize for getting preachy. I really want you to think about what your life would be like with self-control; then realize it is yours for the taking.

James 1:5:  ⁵ If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 

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