I love the Lord, but I must be grieving Him so much
Question:
Here is my story: I married a man, but after a year his sister put me out of the house because of my drinking and partying with friends. I had nowhere to go, so I met people who took me to another town. I wasn't saved at that time, so I started staying with a man who put me through school. I was saved and left him, but then I started to fall back into the habit of fornication. I have been delivered twice. I even broke my soul ties. Still, I fall, get back up, fall, and get back up. I love the Lord so much, but I'm grieving Him. Please pray with me.
Answer:
That you are getting back up to follow the Lord is what every Christian must do. It is the only way we can reach the goal. Satan tries, of course, to hold us back through discouragement.
One part of repentance is a determination to change. "Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing. For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death. For observe this very thing, that you sorrowed in a godly manner: What diligence it produced in you, what clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what vindication! In all things you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter" (II Corinthians 7:9-11). Clearly, you have weaknesses in drinking and sex, so stop trying to live on the border. "Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles -- when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries" (I Peter 4:1-3). Sure, your "friends" will wonder what has happened to you, but your friends aren't going where you want to go. It is past time to find new friends who encourage you to live righteously.
