Continued from How To Escape From Hell: Part 1.
It’s not God’s will for you to live in Hell. I believe that. If it was He wouldn’t have given us the Bible. He wouldn’t have given us verses like the one mentioned in the last post. God wants to transform you from the Hell that you are living in. The problem is that sometimes our Hell becomes our home and we don’t want to move.
Like I said this isn’t easy. If it was easy I’d be skinny, people wouldn’t need AA, and your Hell would become a wicked ice skating rink. You know…Hell frozen over. Sorry. I know it’s a bad joke when I have to explain it. I digress.
Here’s the deal, God has given us everything that we need to be transformed. Sure it’s not easy but it’s more than possible. It comes down to how much we love our Hell.
Jesus said, “If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.”
Here’s what that means. It’s better to be extreme and find freedom then to live in Hell.
- I know a guy who doesn’t own a computer. His computer caused him to live in a personal Hell because it tempted him to look at naked women. He was tired to living with the shame so he did something extreme. He would say he’s better off for it.
- I recently read about a man who fasted from food for 7 days to break free from his addiction. That’s extreme. He’s free.
- I have talked about my struggle with food openly. I have also asked others for help. The other day I was about to eat a piece of cake that someone brought to the office. Dillon Tulip (WEC staff member and friend to the blog) came in and grabbed the piece of cake out of my hand like a banshee on fire. It was extreme. It’s what I needed. I know that when I go to a party and there is lots of food I will graze like a refugee. No offense to any refugees who are reading this. I respect the way you eat. I just am not skinny enough to eat like you. In other words I will destroy some food. Before I get there I have to ask someone to watch me. I can’t handle it on my own.
I don’t know what your personal Hell is. I know it’s not easy to escape. It’s been your home for so long. But what would it take for you to find freedom? What would it take for you to change your thinking? Here’s a thought. Whatever triggers your Hell find a way to get extreme help and then do the opposite. Is it embarrassing to admit that you have a struggle? YES! But it’s better to be embarrassed than to live in Hell.
The truth is that if we don’t find freedom it’s a direct reflection of the love we have for our Hell. We hate it but we love it more than we love Jesus or we wouldn’t do it. We hate the affects of our Hell but we have conditioned our minds to love living there. Jesus has given us the ability to transform our minds…if we are willing.
I promise you that I’m not trying to preach at anyone with these posts. I need this! If anything I’m preaching to myself. I really do believe that we can find freedom!
Rob, we treat following Christ as something we add to our lives to make our lives better. We don’t look at it as a call to a radical, transformed life (I’m talking about me). Jesus wants to leave the plowing to someone else. He wants us to let the dead bury the dead (not sure about The Walking Dead). He wants us to pick up our cross, bear it and follow Him. That shouldn’t and ultimately can’t leave room for Hell.
Larry, preach!
Very nice two-parter. Your truths are applicable to so many of us, especially me. Thanks for sharing my friend.
Daniel, this is one that I’m trying to apply as we speak. It’s hard to change.
Thank you Rob, for your amazing blog! I hope you have a great Thanksgiving!!
Thanks Scott! You too. What are you doing for turkey day?
In-laws tomorrow… They can start a business throwing Thanksgiving!! Best part is they live close enough that we will be home before kickoff of the late game! Did you get to stay local?
Yes. We do Thanksgiving with my family tonight and then normally do it with Monica’s family tomorrow. This year we are going over to a friend’s house because Monica’s parents are out of town. Enjoy your day!
Great and Powerful thoughts here Rob…sooo good…
Have a Happy Thanksgiving my friend…
Thanks Arny! You too!
Good timing Rob – I forwarded this to my wife and asked her to poke me under the table, if I start eating too much. For the first 44 years of my life, I was pretty fat and was diagnosed with Diabetes (Type 2) at age 37. Over the last 3 years, I managed to reduce my weight by over 60lbs and some people now consider me skinny. I battle with food on a daily basis and the struggle gets unbearable at Holiday Dinners and Gatherings. I stay clear of the Office Kitchen and opt out of as many luncheons/parties, that I can, due to this struggle. Good luck at Thanksgiving – I’ll be thinking of you and hopefully will not have to poke my eye out at Dinner tomorrow.
Thanks Terry! If you do poke your eye out please wear a pirate patch and take a picture for me. I kid, I kid. Thanks for your comment. The last line made me smile.
Extreme is more interesting and fun, anyway. I don’t watch the little do-it-yourself home renovations; I watch “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.” I don’t watch talk shows for little tips on how to save money; I’d rather watch “Extreme Couponing.” I think they’re more fun because you get to see more dramatic results.
The small stuff is good, and baby steps are cool, but for me, sometimes it’s too easy to skip the small stuff or to take a baby step backwards instead.
Go big or go home. That’s what I say. =)
TJ, I love this! Great insight! I wish I would have thought about this. I would have written a part 3.
Feel free to save it for a future post. =)
Quote that come to mind here:
“Ever notice how the whisper of temptation, can be heard further than the loudest battle cry”
Joseph, word!
Good words, Rob! It’s not easy… I’m especially thankful this Thanksgiving for the accountability I’ve found amongst fellow bloggers. Imagine that! People I’ve never met IRL (to use your metaphor) snatching the “cake” from my hands! And I’ll be a better man for it, too! Who would’ve thought?
God amazes me!
Chad, that is really amazing! I love how there is a group of Christians who blog that are connected and care for each other.
One of the biggest problems with change, especially extreme change, is facing your issue, seeing what appears to be an insurmountable obstacle, and having no idea how or where to begin.
My father told a me a story from his days in med school about a shift in the ER. The son of a dean was brought in having been involved in a car accident wherein he went head first through a windshield. My father, a med student, ad the attending had the task of stitching the boys face back together. Looking down as so much devastation my father was overwhelmed. The attending pointed to the smallest laceration, then the next smallest, and so on. Before long, those small, seemingly insignificant repairs had transformed the mess of flesh into a recognizable face.
Everyone wants a quick fix, but true and lasting change takes time. We need to keep the end goal in mind, but always remember to celebrate the little victories.
Hi Rob,
I hope this note finds you well. I’ll make this brief as I know you’re busy. : )
Are you familiar with Jon Gordon? He’s the Wall Street Journal and Intentional Bestseller of multiple books including The Energy Bus, The No Complaining Rule, SOUP: A Recipe to Nourish Your Team and Culture, and Training Camp: What the Best do Better than Everyone Else. He speaks to top companies and organizations, has a newsletter list of over 60,000, etc. (Just sharing to paint the picture so you know who he is, if you don’t already.)
I wanted to see if you would be interested in interviewing Jon for your blog, sharing a guest post of his or reviewing his LATEST BOOK, The Seed: Finding Purpose and Happiness in Life and Work. His advice on developing positive individuals, leaders, organizations and teams is spot on and something I think you and others would benefit from.
Let me know if you are interested. Note: We’re featuring links back to articles, interviews, etc. in Jon’s newsletter as well.
Thanks!
Carrie Taaca
Outreach Coordinator for Higher Level Group
Selected Books by Jon Gordon:
The Energy Bus: 10 Rules to Fuel Your Life, Work and Team with Positive Energy
The No Complaining Rule: Positive Ways to Deal with Negativity at Work
Soup: A Recipe to Nourish Your Team and Culture
The Seed: Finding Purpose and Happiness in Life and Work
Guest Post Article Topic Examples:
*Posts would be customized to fit your blog audience as well.
5 Ways to be Happier at Work
The Greatest Customer Service Strategy
Working for a Bigger Purpose
The Power of Positive Interactions
11 Benefits of Being Positive
The Curse of Experience/Think Like a Rookie
How to Create a Culture of Greatness
5 Ways to Think Like a Champion
The No Complaining Rule
Turning a Negative into a Positive
Zoom Focus – How to Get Things Done