I Scream No Ice Cream

"The one who hates correction will die."

             Proverbs 15:10b.

Sometimes people around us that we love dearly suffer steadily.  Their entire lives are a struggle.  There doesn't seem to be much that we can do about it, no matter what we try.

I feel for these people- it's sad and depressing to think of someones entire life being such a struggle.  Typically people who struggle in one area will slowly start to struggle in other areas as well, before you know it their entire life is a series of sad dramatic car wrecks.

If they're getting bad results consistently, maybe they need to do something differently?

People with tough lives usually hate correction.  They don't want to hear their friends advice, or if they do, they don't follow through with change.  Their parents, counselors, pastors, co-workers, and bosses cannot get through to them.  Can anyone correct a person who hates correction and is unwilling to change?



Of course not.

I'm far from perfect, but here's a simple example of a positive change I've implemented for myself.  When Esther and I got married she was concerned about all the junk food I ate.  I was used to having a bowl of ice cream every single night before bed.  I might crumble a few cookies and chocolate sauce in there for good measure.  And you know what?  Esther hated this temptation for herself, and the fact that she knew it wasn't healthy for me either.

Esther hinted slowly for a month or 2, and in eventually we decided together we would have a new rule about our home.  We would not buy ice cream anymore.  If we didn't buy it, it would be hard to eat every night.  So that was it.  Cold Turkey.  I think in the 2 years since then we have bought ice cream once as a special occasion.

I know ice cream is a simple thing, but everything starts as something simple.  All of our most basic subtle natural habits ripple into every thought, action, and behavior we have.  I am the only one I can control, and you are the only one you can control.  So what are you doing about it?  What baby steps and goals and correction are you considering?  The sooner you can kick the bad habits, the ones causing you to stumble, sink, and back slide, the sooner you can start living the life you are meant to be living.

Until we sink our teeth in to the fact that this life is a gift we are meant to be stewards of, we will surely continue to struggle.