Holiness, the Holy Spirit, and James Coney Island
by Curtis Jones
Last night I swore off fast food. I’ve been having some stomach pains and a few days ago I ran out of Zantac. It’s not the first time. A few years ago I noticed I was starting to develop sharp pains in my stomach. Since I’m a male, I didn’t do anything about it. One day I was on the way to eat lunch with a friend and the pain was so unbearable I made him turn around and take me to the doctor. The problem was, since I am a male, I didn’t even have a doctor. So I looked one up in the yellow pages. I arrived at the doctor’s office, told him the situation, and waited as he ran some tests. He was perplexed, so he told me about Zantac (praise God), and scheduled me for an ultrasound the next morning. I was a little embarrassed to be having an ultrasound since the only people I knew who received ultrasounds were pregnant women. I was confident I wasn’t pregnant. In high school my youth pastor told us that if we filled out a True Love Waits card we didn’t have to worry about getting pregnant. It turned out he was right.
When I showed up for my appointment, I was escorted into a small dark room and asked to slip into one of those paper gowns. Then they made me wait as if it were some twisted joke among the staff. “The guy in room 1b is wearing the paper gown! How long should we make him wait?” Eventually, a woman came in and told me to lie down on the table. She took a wand and rubbed it around my stomach. I tried to peek at the screen, at which time she informed me that I wasn’t allowed to see it and then moved it out of view. While she did veil the screen from my eyes, she failed to veil her amusement at the state of my stomach. I’ll spare you the diagnosis, but suffice it to say that I needed to cut out soda and French fries.
Last night my gastrointestinal misery led me to proclaim to Amanda that I was done with any food you can get through a window. She seemed unmoved by my new commitment, probably because it is not the first time she has heard it. No doubt she knew I couldn’t, wouldn’t follow through. Turns out, she was right. Only thirteen short hours after my resolute decree I found myself in the drive-thru of James Coney Island (home of the best chili dog in Houston). They have the freshest buns, the juiciest hot dogs, and cheese that comes out of a gun. I was bewitched. I couldn’t resist the siren’s call. And I’m weak.
I’m the king of commitments. My specialty is spiritual commitments. I’m going to read through the Bible in one year. I’m going to share my faith every day. I’m going pray with my wife every night. You name the commitment and I guarantee I have made it. And broken it. Each time I come with good intentions, a pure heart, and an intense desire to do what is right, but rarely does it work.
Will-powered faith is the worst kind of faith. A relationship with God that is rooted in our ability or strength is doomed to fail for two reasons. First, a will-powered faith will result in self-loathing. We make commitments, try our hardest, give it our all, and fail. So we try again…and fail. And the only person we have to blame is ourselves. Some of us suffer from a spiritual depression because we have lived in a cycle between trying and failing for so long. Second, if our will-powered faith doesn’t end in self-loathing it is because it ended in self-righteousness. We make commitments, try our hardest, and we succeed. We congratulate ourselves on a job well done. Then we look around and notice that other people are not experiencing the same success we are. Why don’t they try as hard as me? Maybe they are just not as godly. Self-loathing or self-righteousness—God hates both.
That’s why he sent us a Helper. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you (John 14:16-17, ESV). Jesus said it was to our advantage that He went away so He could send the Holy Spirit (John 16:7) to rescue us from the inevitable cycle of human strength-centered living. He will give us the help that we cannot give ourselves. Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Eph 3:20-21, ESV). The Holy Spirit’s power at work within you, the same power that raised Christ from the dead (Romans 8:11), is able to do for you supernaturally what you could not do naturally: live for Jesus and resist fast food.
Tags: Curtis
Thank you. This is just what I need to hear, at just the right time. Isn’t God cool that way? So often I attempt to rely on my on strength- and I am not a strong gal. Stubborn at times, but that’s another story. Anyway, thank you Curtis. Love it! And now I’m quite hungry for a juicy hotdog…
Welcome, welcome Curtis! Thanks so much for that word from the LORD. I really needed that. What truth you have typed. Thanks so much for sharing it. I am the queen of will power and you hit the nail on the head with saying if we fail, we are self-loathing, and if we succeed, we become self-righteous. There is a song on Casting Crown’s newest album, and the lyrics have become a prayer of my heart, “Jesus, I’m trying so hard to stop trying so hard. Just let you be who you are, who you are in me.” Take care, and I pray that God will take away your desire for fast food:)
“A relationship with God that is rooted in our ability or strength is doomed to fail for two reasons….
Self-loathing or self-righteousness—God hates both.”
Rock-on, brother!
Great to hear from you… and I got tickled with the memory of my “True Love Waits” t-shirt that was oh-so-fashionable with it’s cool late 80’s style block letters. 😀
I Love it. If you want my husband to love it, you’ll have to change the purple background on the LPM blog. 🙂 All in love!! 🙂
It’s like you’re inside my head. But way smarter and more mature than I am. Keep writing! I need it!
Curtis, that was awesome! Exactly what I needed to hear. May God continue to use you in a mighty way.
The Journey Continues ~
GREAT WORDS!
My son and 6 of his college friends are at our beach house this weekend. WITH LOTS OF FAST FOOD, COOKIES, ETC.. My pathetic weakness has already taken affect.
Keep preachin It Curtis!
With “Heaven Bound” blessings,
Kim, Dave and the college group
http://www.kimsafinathejourneycontinues.blogspot.com
great post, Curtis. what a brave man you are. women can be cruel…but I think you’re safe 🙂 Thanks for sharing the truth…the truth that sets us free.
Thank you so much! It’s so hard not to become self-righteous sometimes when you get so excited about what is going on in your life (all becasue of God, of course). It’s a great reminder to look up!!!
Welcome Curtis! It’s a daily commitment. You wake up and before you even let your feet hit the floor or that first sip of coffee hit your taste buds, you say “Yes Lord” and you venture forward, by grace and with the Holy Spirits guidance. You fall, you confess the fall and you get back up and start again…and it brings you closer to the one and only-our Creator. He made us, He knows us, He will walk with us through the fast food lines but He will also let us suffer through those consequences so we will learn His way!! Better LIMIT those fast food dive-throughs!!
In His Graces~Pamela
WooHoo! First post! So great. Thank you for that! I often bounce between self-loathing and self righteousness because of my will power… or lack of.
Thanks for the post!
Good word, Curtis! Looking forward to hearing more from you on the blog! Enjoy TX…it’s 25 degrees this weekend up here in your hometown of SGF!
OK….how did ya know I’ve had more fast food than I should!? You sound a lot like me.
Loved the willpower lesson. It’s so hard not to do. Thanks and Welcome to LPM.
Welcome Curt! What an amazing addition you are to the ministry. I am excited to share this with my dh. You speak his style. He is breaking free from a bondage to another woman, and I needed to be reminded that it’s not about his will power, but about the Holy Spirit. Please pray for our 20 year marriage and our 5 precious children as we seek to restore our covenant.
I love the way the Spirit of God works. I had some of these very thoughts today as we were driving down the interstate. Just an old struggle I’ve continually had that leaves me full of the self loathing. I drive myself crazy and determine that it’s going to change. Only to find myself drawn like a magnet to it everytime, unable to say no! I agree with Paul when he said ” the very thing I want to do, I don’t do and the very thing I don’t want to do, I end up doing.” This is just a God reminder that I can’t have success in and of my own strength. It’s only by His Spirit. Thanks for the reminder!
Wow! I just sat down to eat my fifth cookie and check the blog! I guess I needed to read it. I so often think “once I have it a little more under control I will take it to God, I am too much of a mess right now to take it to Him”
How backward that thinking is. Thanks for the remider!
Last year I had a major bout with acid reflux. It was right after I gave up pop. I found out that I have a low amount of acid in my stomache so the food just sits and does not digest causing the acid reflux. So long story short. I have a medical excuse to drink pop; I need the acid. Praise Jesus, I can guilt free drink my Coke Zero. Of course I try to ignore the fact that orange juice would do the same thing and be healthier.
Amen, thank you Curtis for your guidance and insight to daily living. How many times, have I made commitments and broken them, a lot!! Thank you God for giving us the Holy Spirit to remind us of the truth that we can’t do it without Him.
w
Welcome Miesta CJ! First of all let me say that it looks like “You spit Jacks out of your Mouth” if you know what I mean? 🙂
Your post was full of wit and wisdom…just what all we siestas like.
As far as your stomach goes…next Thursday when you are off, stay away from that fast food.
Greeting and welcome, Missy
My ‘fast food’ has been cigarettes. Praying for God to deliver me. May HE do supernaturally what I’ve struggled for years to do naturally. Please God, thanks Curtis.
I loved this, see my husband suffers from depression, and he was on his meds for over 4 years, when we moved to Ky, well he didn’t tell me that he was cutting him self off his meds and that he figured that he could do it a lone well things were going good for a while and then he started having problems with his tummy, well 6000.00 later in doctor visits they said there is nothing that they can other than treat the little problems that come up and they do all the time well he doesn’t do it on his own so I have to baby sit him with his meds, becuase he takes them until he feels better and says I feel good I don’t need then and he stops taking them so I have to stay on him for it… Back to his other meds for depression, we have been having a really rough time this last month and a half so I finally said that he had to go back to the doctors, so he is this week… So praise the Lord that we need him in all things and he is always there for us…
Connie
Curtis, Thank you! God was speaking to me through your post. Welcome! I look forward to more of your anointed words! This Blog is so much fun and truly a blessing beyond measure! I find myself logging in way to often. Each entry is so touching and the comments from the Siestas are a special ministry in it self! Amen!
You are so right. Thanks for the reminder not to rely on my own strength.
And the girl in the graphic pink and black tunic on the right shouts, “Amen!”
I just got home from a wonderful worship experience at our church called “Beyond the Veil.” The total experience was beyond the veil and beyond words. All I can say is – more of Jesus is all I need, to be completely His and to be completely captured by Him. It is my life’s pursuit and I lay all of me down to receive it. I am nothing without Him, I can do nothing without Him, and my life means nothing without Him – If You don’t go Lord, then I don’t want to go either!
Thanks for sharing this wonderful capstone for a blessed night! It is my pleasure to welcome Curtis to the LPM blog!
Blessings Moores and Joneses!
Well said, Rabbi!
Amanda,
I made a picture for your Mom, and posted it in the post where she told us that Sunny is home. 🙂 The only way I could post is was to post the link to my photobucket and hope she can click on it and see it from there. (I hope it works!!) Can you please let her know?
Thanks!
P.S. If it doesn’t work,and y’all wanna see it, I can always post the link on my personal blog, and then y’all can access it from there.
Thanks for that word. Why is it we always think we can do it our own selfs. !! :0) Thank God for for always sending along a reminder .
Now for the stomach You should see a naturalpathy and they will fix you right up. A good digestive enzyme would be a good starter.My sister is a naturalpathy Dr. and so proud of her and I’m learning and sharing the natural way to feel better.
Pam /Southern Indiana
Witty and wise and weighty and winsome are YOU!! Whoa!
I nearly could have died a couple of weeks ago when my kidneys shut down—so I have changed my eating drastically for 2 weeks but under surmounting pressure of taking ten teenagers to Austin for the weekend, I slipped back into soda…ooohhh…and I was close to well, IDK…
You reminded me of my foolishness – Galatians 3:3 – “After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?” What am I thinking that is going on under that behavior? Even yesterday I read in I Sam 2:9 that no man will prevail by strength. The LORD does not take pleasure in the strength of our legs – Psalm 147:10.
Okay, this is your first post, and you write details and drama. You so delighted me but touched a deep part in me. After just one post, I know I am going to really like it when I see your name on here. I wasn’t thinking that I would see you here but am surprised and stirred. Welcome Curtis, move over others and make room!! Don’t ever stop blogging Beth & Amanda…but this guy can write from the fray of his heart.
What a great Word for us Curtis! I look forward to hearing more from ya ! It was a fresh Word for me and addressed exactly what I have been struggling with and never knew why. Thanks for showing us that we were not meant to do it ourselves but that we have the Holy Spirit to help us.
I had to laugh about the fast food though. A few weeks ago I had a dr appt that I had to fast for. I didnt have anyone to watch my two kids so I took them with me and as always we were running late. I told my 7 year old that we could go to Chick fil a for lunch after the appt. Well, during the appt the Dr told went over all my test results and when going over food restrictions he said that fast food was absolutely the worst thing and that I couldn’t have it period. My daughter put her papers down and with lots of attitude said, “GREAT! Now we’re never getting lunch today.” Well, I went out with a bang and we had our Chick Fil A. Man I miss that chicken it is REALLY good. That and sweet tea! Good southern sweet tea.
Hey, Brother Curtis!
What a great start with the first Official Miesta Post!
So spiritual…
so obviously from a miesta point of view…
so glad you signed that card in high school…or that ultrasound tech would’ve totally freaked.
Your post made me try to put words on a huge change in my life…unclenching my fists which were tightly holding all kinds of good things: hours in hundreds of evenings of Bible study, a yen to be at church whenever the doors opened, trying so hard to understand in order to obey…
then (finally) surrendering and opening my hands to Him, to let Him love me, let His Spirit do the control bit instead of me, let Him draw me to Himself…and, as one of the siestas put it, to obey regardless of understanding. (For a girl raised like I was, that one was really tough. “If you don’t understand, you can’t believe.” Hah!)
Filled notebooks about Him make a lousy substitute for knowing Him.
One reason I love Beth’s teaching — it is all about loving Him more and her passion is contagious.
So, I am with you all the way on the Spirit-powered living for Jesus.
But fast food? [sigh] Maybe. Later. Someday…
That was a message meant straight for me. Thank You God for that. Thank You Curtis ! Thank You Beth for putting Curtis in this position. God is really working on me. CINDY in HIGH POINT, NC
Curt, you just put into words what I have lived in my spiritual life….funny, though, you always feel you’re the only one that has felt that way….
I’m one of those that has made commitments with a sincere heart, only to not follow-through. And then the will-powered faith….
I constantly remind myself that I am powerless without Christ!! Because I have been to that point of “self-righteousness” wondering why others were not where I was!!!
And I’m the one that has suffered because of it!
Thank you for your words of wisdom…well taken!
(Hope your tummy is better and I’m so glad Sunny is back at home, too!)
Amen Curtis!!
Thank you Curtis!!!
This is exactly what God has been showing me. I can’t do it in my own strength. Thanks for sharing. It encourages me. My husband read what you wrote and said he could so relate.
Welcome to LPM!
This was awesome! I copied it off for my family. A wonderful husband and my two sons (11 and 14 years of age!)
I especially liked what you said about your youth pastor telling you if you sign a True Love Waits card you won’t get pregnant!
What a scream!
Thanks so much for sharing, Curtis!
Gina from CT
God’s using you, Curtis! Thanks so much for the blessing. Your sermon on the website is wonderful too! Praying for you and yours.
(Can’t you sign on as Curtette though?) Ha!
Amen and amen. I needed to see those words today.
Terri
I can’t tell you how long it took me to understand I can’t make changes in my life without the help of God. Thank you Curtis for sharing your struggles with us.
Thanks for the reminder! It’s all about His strength! Welcome aboard! (How were the chili dogs?) 🙂
Is this the first post by the official LPM Miesta?? I could very well relate to will-powered living. Thank you for putting words to my actions!
Great post – thanks for the reminder of why that cycle occurs – I really needed to hear that.
Welcome Curtis! I am so glad your here. I have a dear person in my life struggling with alcoholism. He tries and tries to use will power, but inevitably it fails him. My prayer is he will allow the spirit of God dwelling inside him to fight that battle. Thank you for the reminder.
Curt, that was amazingly perfect for this season in my life! Thank you for sharing!!! We look forward to many more awesome blog lessons in the future! 🙂
-Traci
Curt,
First of all welcome to this awesome blog! We Siestas are excited to have you on board.
I loved this post because I am the queen of commitment. I need to exercise and watch my in-take of the fatty foods that I love. I should eat oatmeal every morning, but I hate it. I’ll go for a week and I’ll do well, then I’ll just quit.
You are right on target though….we can’t do it (anything) alone.
All morning I’ve been singing “His Strength is Perfect.” I know I need my helper, the Holy Spirit, in all I do.
Thanks again, Curt. Have a blessed weekend.
Valerie
Curtis, wow! I signed on this morning to see if God had returned Sunny yet, and WOW! (So glad Sunny is home, safe and sound! I was praying!) I needed to hear exactly what you said on your blog, Curtis! I have been struggling mightily with loneliness and trying to busy myself with activities and purpose in my life, but your words leaped off the page, showing me that I need to rely on the Holy Spirit to do that. I can go in a million different directions, but unless
He is involved and leading, it’s useless! Thanks for saying just what I needed to hear! So timely! Hope your tummy is better!
Hey Curtis, God is AWESOME! I have been struggling with this issue this week. Keeping my committments and looking for His direction..in all I do. I was at a low point last night and my daily dev. book really led me to prayer. Pour it all out to Him last night. Then this morning I got up and the first thing that hit me was “will I really do it right?” I was thinking I’ll mess up today too! Not get anything done. So I came straight to my computer to get my usual uplift for Beth or Amanda (Love you all) but you told me what I needed to hear TODAY! where I am at.
I joke with my hubby that God needs weak people like me to work on. But I get to the self-loathing part realy easy.
Thank you!
Sherry in GA
Oh, how I appreciate the truth in this! Praise God that I have not been left to my own devices! My goodness, where would I be?
tessa h
All this time I was pretty sure I had never met you, but now I’m not so sure. Because you seem to know me very, very well, Curt! That whole self-loathing/self-righteous thing describes me perfectly! Thank you for driving home a very simple yet very hard lesson to learn!! ~Kim in ABQ
Great Word from the Miesta! I’ve been saying for awhile now that our men need a blog like this. Thank you for being as authentic as the rest of the family! We Siestas are so Blessed by this TEAM! I am going to pass this one on to my brother and husband who love to get food that gets passed through a window!
Much love to you all,
Angie xoxo
Welcome Curtis! Live for Jesus, and He will even cure an addiction, pull you out of a pit, and love you through it all. I recently read this statement: “The greatest human strength cannot overcome God’s weakness.” Amen!
I love your sense of humor, too! God bless…I look forward to reading your other posts!
LOL on committments. I made a new years resolution to carry a smaller purse…I know very lofty…and guess what I am back to the big back (I don’t like New Years Resolutions)!
Love the post!