By Bill Gaultiere © 2011
Peter observed a dog returning to its vomit and a pig going back to wallow in the mud and God showed him that people can be like that (2 Peter 2:22).
It’s easy to read Peter’s words and start judging people who are foolish. Why does she keep struggling with that? What’s the matter with him? He should know better than to do that! Be careful! That common response of using insight from God to judge others will distance you from the Holy Spirit and slowly drain the life out of your soul.
My Confession
So I consider Peter’s words and ask myself, “What vomit have I been eating? What mud have I been wallowing in?”
Just a couple of days ago I was jealous of a Christian leader’s success. I prayed for this leader’s ministry, but why didn’t I keep praying? Why did I get so caught up in my work?
I’d like to say that the work I did was for God, that I was trying to help people in Jesus’ name. But another motive crowded in to deter the holy one: I wanted to be recognized as special because of what I could achieve. I was trying to prove my worth. That’s what I did so much of in my past as a workaholic.
But I thank the Lord that more and more over the years I’ve let God’s Word read my heart, confessed my sins, and followed Jesus anew into increasing freedom.
How About You?
How about you? What vomit are you eating? What mud are you wallowing in?
There’s a lot of research that’s been done to help us understand compulsive behavior and the path to freedom. I’ve spent many hundreds of hours in firsthand research with “vomit eaters” and “mud wallowers”, not the least of which has been done on myself with the help of therapists, mentors, and friends who have been “Christ’s Ambassadors” to me (2 Corinthians 5:20).
More Soul Shepherding
You don’t have to keep returning to sinful habits or wallowing in compulsive patterns. There are proven approaches to freedom and healing. “Step Out of the Cycle of Addiction” is one of a number of articles I’ve written to show you the path to overcoming your struggle.
People in ministry struggle with compulsive behaviors too. If that’s you don’t keep trying on your own—reach out for help. Kristi and I offer psychotherapy in our office in Irvine, CA and pastoral counseling by phone or Skype. Contact us at Soul Shepherding if we can help you.
Bill Gaultiere, Ph.D. & Kristi Gaultiere, Psy.D. ~ http://www.soulshepherding.org
