Jellybeans

April 18, 2011

It didn’t even cross my mind to want jellybeans. Sure, it’s Easter. Sure, I like them... but I don't recall having seen jellybeans or talked about jellybeans for months. Until today.

“You know, Suzanne,” my sister said as she looked up from her book with a sparkle in her eyes. “Mama bought jellybeans a few weeks ago for when you came home.”

It was almost instantaneous: I wanted jellybeans. Instead of thinking about the subjunctive case in grammar and whether to use who or whom, I was thinking about jellybeans. It only took a minute for Rachel to go get the bag after I whispered “I want jellybeans.” She wanted them too. And so as I write this, I’m eating jellybeans.

The point of all this is: What I set before my eyes is often what I want. I need to set myself up for success. Just as I can take steps that lead toward failure, I can also take steps that lead to success.  I shouldn’t even give my flesh the option to obey. If I’m tempted by jellybeans, I shouldn’t buy them.  If I have trouble with wasting time, I shouldn't be on facebook . If I'm being lazy, I should get up early. If I seek the praise of men, I should choose to develop my private world. I need to  exercise myself toward godliness, even though sometimes it takes going against everything I feel like doing.  It takes intentionally, and it takes work. 

Psalm 101:3 says, “I will set nothing wicked before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not cling to me.” This is an intentional choice, and this is not only the path toward success, but the path toward Jesus. "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."