For most of my adult life as I tried to follow Jesus, there were some commands that were too difficult for me to obey. When I was challenged by them I would attempt to rationalize or justify my disobedience. When that didn’t work, I would put it under the category of “God’s grace is sufficient for me” and overlook it.
When the Lord convicted me to simplify my life a few years ago, I began to understand why I was having trouble with some of His commands. I realized that I had desires in my heart that were enticing me to do things that were keeping me in bondage to my ego.
When a friend gave me an acronym for ego, “edging God out”, I had an epiphany and realized that as long as I had an appetite for things that were not rooted in His Kingdom, I was destined to live the rest of my life enslaved to my evil desires.
Now, when I am challenged by one of God’s commands, I look for the dark craving lurking in my ego that is fighting it, lay it at the foot of the cross and surrender it to the Lord. I no longer have to try and justify my disobedience because my desire to follow Jesus enables me to go places and do things that are pleasing to Him.