Relapse
It is not enough to rid oneself of all that holds us back or puts us down. We need to do something else.
"When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it wanders through waterless regions looking for a resting place, but it finds none. Then it says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.' When it comes, it finds it empty, swept, and put in order. Then it goes and brings along seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and live there; and the last state of that person is worse than the first. So will it be also with this evil generation." - Matthew 12"43-45
In today's Gospel reading, Jesus tells his followers that they are his family, the ones he is here for, and their fate matters most to him.
When I find myself gaining weight, I get annoyed with myself.
It takes so much effort to lose that you would think I would never want to go back up in weight after struggling so hard to lose.
But it happens, doesn't it?
I remember the first time I quit smoking cigarettes. I managed to stay off them for over a year and I was proud to call myself a non-smoker.
But then one day I thought I could have one, just for old times sake. It took me another four years to quit completely again.
Whether we call them unclean spirits or habits or temptations, they never rest. They are always there, waiting for us to weaken, to make a place for them in our hearts.
We need to fill that empty space with something else or all our efforts will result in relpses.
Today, I will remind myself that the emptiness can be filled with the Holy Spirit, the one source of power to fend off the demons.
It will drive away all temptations and keep me free of the cravings and desires that cause me to stumble.
And if today I fail, I will not give up.
When the things I want out of my life are gone, they will stay gone.
More to come...