Lauren Sparks

The Sparks Notes

  • Home
  • About
  • Favorites
  • Policies
  • Contact

“Should” is Contagious

May 23, 2019 by Lauren 34 Comments

Love the LORD your God and keep his requirements, his decrees, his laws and his commands always.  Deuteronomy 11:1 NIV

 

I spilled a lot of my personal guts last week.  If you missed it, you can read it here.  If you don’t want all the sordid details, obedience to God was the general gist.  I think I need to continue the conversation because it’s heavy, and yet it’s the only way to true freedom and peace.  We must push through the yucky feelings that initially come from conviction to reach the joy and relief waiting on the other side.

 

When we make a decision to change something about ourselves or our lifestyle after hearing the siren call (or gentle whisper) of the Holy Spirit, things often get uncomfortable for those around us.  Most people can understand believing in God – even if they don’t.  Praying, attending church even.  But radical obedience seems, as a good friend of mine would say, cuckoo-cachoo.  Getting serious about a sin like gluttony makes people particularly uncomfortable.  In fact, upon my confession and request for prayers, one sweet friend patted me on the knee and suggested I was being too hard on myself. Albeit well meaning, would she have said that if I confessed to stealing, or lying, or cheating?   In the United States our big portions of greasy, fatty foods have become the norm.  And if not the norm, at least considered a “treat”.  And why shouldn’t we “treat” ourselves?  Because in Philippians, Paul warned that those destined for destruction are those whose “god is their stomach” (3:19)!  And when the prophets spoke of the city of Sodom – that God chose to destroy – being overfed was at the top of the list of the people’s infractions (Ezekiel 16:49).

 

Don’t hear me saying in some legalistic way that your favorite food, or mine, is inherently evil.  But if it is more than we need, it is a problem.  And I still very much have a problem.  I put all of this out into the blogosphere and almost immediately began to struggle in my resolve.  Unexpected stressors and temptations hit me from all sides and I slipped back into old sinful habits.  I got busy and started neglecting my time in the Word and in prayer.  Then God gave me this verse yesterday,

“Are you so foolish?  After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?”  Galatians 3:3  

Click To Tweet

 

Luke 11:28 tells us, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”  I hear Him.  I know what I should do.  But as I stated in the title of this post, should can be contagious.  Once I “should”, I will soon be “should-ing” all over the place.  That’s not what I want my testimony to be.  And it’s not the response I want to give my Lord and Savior.  So today I have repented again.  Today I rededicate myself to time with God.  And today I’m choosing to replace my “shoulds” and even “have to’s” with “want-to’s” and “wills”.  Not in my own power.  I have none.  But in the power of the Holy Spirit.  Would you pray for me in this?  It would mean so very much to me.  And if there is anything I can pray for you about, I would be honored if you would let me know.  If you don’t want to type it in the comments for everyone to read, click on the CONTACT tab and send me a personal email.

 

“And this is love that we walk in obedience to his commands.”  2 John 1:6

 

Sharing is caring! If you liked this post, please share to your favorite social media accounts. And if you want to make sure you don’t miss anything, subscribe!

And look up these great writers I link up with every week:

Mix it Up Linky, InstaEncouragements, Literacy Musing Mondays, Hello…Monday,

Dream Team link up, The Good. The Random. The Fun.

BloggerClubUK, Tea and Word Tuesday, Purposeful Faith,

GraceFull Tuesday Link-Up, Different Dream,

Let’s Have Coffee, Welcome Wednesday, Recharge Wednesday,

Worth Beyond Rubies, #TellHisStory Link Up, Porch Stories,

Encouraging Word Wednesday, Tune In Thursday,

Stories of Hope, Moments of Hope, IHeart Verse Link Party,

A Blogging Good Time, Fresh Market Friday, Feature Friday Time,

Friendship Friday Blog Hop, Faith on Fire, Traffic Jam Weekend,

Faith ‘n Friends, Dancing with Jesus, Grace & Truth, Booknificent

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)

Related

Filed Under: Christian, obedience Tagged With: food, gluttony, should, sin

Comments

  1. Martha J Orlando says

    May 24, 2019 at 12:21 pm

    Praying for you, Lauren! May God turn the “shoulds” into “want tos.”
    Blessings!

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      May 24, 2019 at 5:51 pm

      Thank you, Martha. That is my prayer as well.

      Reply
  2. Jerralea says

    May 24, 2019 at 7:19 pm

    Lauren, kudos to you for being open and transparent. This is a problem I struggle with as well. I’m reminded of something I once heard Joyce Meyer say when she was trying to cut back, “God gives us our necessary food.” So we eat what is necessary to the meal – but do we really need all those bread and rolls while we are waiting for our food to come? That just always stuck with me.

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      May 26, 2019 at 1:21 am

      Praying for you in this, Jerralea.

      Reply
  3. Rebecca Jones says

    May 24, 2019 at 8:52 pm

    Shoulda, coulda and woulda all bad ideas to dwell on.

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      May 26, 2019 at 1:22 am

      Agreed, Rebecca.

      Reply
  4. Tea With Jennifer says

    May 25, 2019 at 7:57 am

    You struck a cord in me when I saw this title at Crystal’s link up.
    I “should” go for more walks so I can loose those kilos I’m not happy carrying anymore!
    I should meet up with a friend to encourage her more…
    I should….is definitely contagious & self defeating 😉
    No more should but more “I will!”
    Thank you Lauren,
    Bless you,
    Jennifer

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      May 26, 2019 at 1:22 am

      Praying for you in this, Jennifer.

      Reply
  5. Laurie says

    May 27, 2019 at 6:56 pm

    Lauren, your post made me think of this Anne Lamott quote “I’ve heard it said that the Holy Spirit very rarely respects one’s comfort zones.” When I was a teacher, I had a saying in the classroom: MSH (Make “stuff” happen). It sounds like that is exactly what you are doing.

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      May 28, 2019 at 2:52 am

      Oh, the road is hard, though. Thanks for reading and engaging, Laurie.

      Reply
  6. Antionette Blake says

    May 28, 2019 at 2:04 am

    Praying for you, but for all of us who are in need of prayer and should be doing it multiple times per day! #TrafficJamWeekend

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      May 28, 2019 at 2:52 am

      You are so right, Antionette. Thank you so much. Saying a prayer for you too.

      Reply
  7. Horace Williams Jr says

    May 28, 2019 at 2:21 pm

    Thank you for your honesty and openness in sharing your story, Lauren. It is nice to “meet” you. I have struggled with the battle of gluttony versus treating myself. I too ask God for help in this battle. He says in his word that He will provide a way of escape. God has given me the strength not to make those purchases anymore. I have not missed them that much. (Except for Ice cream sometimes;) I know the enemy is going to all he can to destroy me and my testimony. However, in God’s strength, I can have victory. Thanks again for the visit. I will have to come back again. God bless you and yours.

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      May 28, 2019 at 9:43 pm

      Thank you for the support and encouragement, Horace.

      Reply
  8. Susan Shipe says

    May 29, 2019 at 4:50 pm

    Ah…the trap of shoulda, coulda, woulda…

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      May 29, 2019 at 7:07 pm

      Horrible, right?

      Reply
  9. Tammy Mashburn says

    May 29, 2019 at 5:01 pm

    Love your transparency!

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      May 29, 2019 at 7:07 pm

      Thank you, Tammy. Creating some accountability for myself and hoping to encourage someone else in the process.

      Reply
  10. Patsy Burnette says

    May 29, 2019 at 7:06 pm

    Laura, thanks for linking up at InstaEncouragements! And thanks for being so candid, again. Personally, I like the gentle whisper more so than the siren call. But I’m afraid I don’t always hear the whisper, and many times God has to come after me with His siren. Thanks for this reminder to listen for the whisper. Take care! You’re doing a good thing. Keep it up!

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      May 29, 2019 at 7:08 pm

      Thank you so much for the encouragement, Patsy. And for hosting such a great link up.

      Reply
  11. sue says

    May 30, 2019 at 5:56 pm

    Thanks for sharing your struggle, Lauren. We all have them, different perhaps, but universal calls to obedience. Will pray for us both today! xx PS ISn’t God good to keep after us?

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      May 30, 2019 at 9:28 pm

      He is, Sue. I love the biblical reference to Him as the Hound of Heaven.

      Reply
  12. Debra Jean says

    May 30, 2019 at 6:37 pm

    I had never thought of this, but oh, it is so true! Love the verse, I know that I too often start what God leads me to and then I am so good at taking over. I will be praying for you! Many Thanks 8)

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      May 30, 2019 at 9:29 pm

      Thank you for the prayers, Debra. That means so much to me.

      Reply
  13. April says

    May 30, 2019 at 7:20 pm

    You are so very right that “should” is contagious. It’s so hard at times to move off of should and onto “will.” God does want our will to be surrendered in completeness to His will! We can shift with His power and denying our flesh is so very key in all of it! #destinationinspiration linkup

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      May 30, 2019 at 9:29 pm

      Surrendered is such a great word, April. I need to sit with it today. Thank you.

      Reply
  14. Donna Reidland says

    May 31, 2019 at 5:16 am

    I’m right there with you, Lauren. I’m working on being more diligent with walking, too. Praying for us both.

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      May 31, 2019 at 9:20 pm

      Thank you, Donna. Praying for you today.

      Reply
  15. Liz says

    May 31, 2019 at 9:37 pm

    Praying for God to continue to strengthen your resolve to obey Him in all things! Blessings!

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      June 1, 2019 at 4:14 pm

      Thank you for those prayers, Liz. It means so much.

      Reply
  16. Heather Keet says

    June 2, 2019 at 12:40 am

    I love that right when you were wavering and piled with stressors, the needed message came through. Powerful. #GlobalBlogging

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      June 2, 2019 at 2:49 am

      God is good, Heather.

      Reply
  17. Kylie says

    June 5, 2019 at 7:51 am

    Praying for you in this, thank you for sharing your honesty with #AbloggingGodTime

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      June 5, 2019 at 5:02 pm

      Thank you for the prayers, Kylie. It means so much.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Let’s Connect

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

About Me

I love Jesus, my husband and caffeine. The order of these can change depending on how tired I am. When my two daughters, stepson, and 4 grandchildren get to be too much, I practice yoga. God graciously allows me to share our adventures, victories and flub-ups from my laptop. May He be glorified here.
Read More

Subscribe for Updates

Enter your information below to receive the latest updates from the blog!

Recent Posts

  • Just Got Through January – Almost
  • Joy Ride: My Word of the Year
  • I’m on Cruise Control
  • First Friday Prayers: A New Year
  • Do We Have to Ditch December?

Find Devotionals By Me in These Books and Click on Image for Order Information!

A 25-Week Bible Study with Topics from Abide to Zeal
A 26 week journey to a better prayer life.
30 devotionals for faith that moves mountains

For Sharing

Lauren Sparks

Like Podcasts? I’m on This One

…and This One! click to listen.

Click below to get a free trial of my favorite technology monitoring platform

Need More Than Just Monitoring? Find Filters and Accountability Here

Search This Site

Categories

Archives

Copyright © 2023 Lauren Sparks | Design by Traci Michele | Development by MRM

Stop!  Don't Miss Out!

I have a brand new e-book.  This was Not On My Bingo Card:  Essays on Cancer and Related Surprises is available to you FREE by simply subscribing to my blog!  

Invalid email address
I promise not to spam you. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Thanks for subscribing!