Valentine's Day: Indulge

God is calling us to immerse ourselves in His righteousness, recognize who He truly is and what He wants to do in us. Philippians 3 says:
8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ
9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;
10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death...

The Bible tells us to taste and see that the Lord is good - He wants us to press into Him, to recognize that He has made it possible for us to come into a relationship with Him, to actually become the very righteousness of God.  WOW!  He wants us to give ourselves wholeheartedly to Him, so that He might express His life and His love through us.  We count all things as loss so that we might gain Christ, in whom are incredible treasures!

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Galatians chapter 5 presents a vivid contrast between the mindset and lifestyle serving, or indulging,
the flesh and devotion to walking in the Spirit.  Verse 1 says:
1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.

Later in the chapter, we read:
13 For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
15 But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another!
16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.

Valentine's Day is coming up tomorrow, a great chance to show that person you love, some love in the form of gifts.  Industry research resource IBISWorld anticipates that Valentine's Day spending will increase 3.8% from 2014 figures. That's a projected record of $19.6 billion dollars.  

The average amount consumers will spend this Valentine’s Day is expected to increase from last year’s $134.56 to $139.70.

According to the site, revenue from candy is expected to rise 3.0% in 2015, and will maintain its position as the category with the most consistent growth over the past five years. This segment’s popularity is due to its easy availability and its varied pricing based on the manufacturer and quality of ingredients.  It quotes the National Confectioners Association, which reports that about 75% of Valentine’s Day candy sales are from chocolate.

Last year, consumers spent over $2 billion dollars on candy, as opposed to just under $1.8 billion on flowers.  People are spending less on greeting cards, with sales off over $13 million dollars last year over 2013, although a small rise is projected for this year.

Last year, the aforementioned National Confectioners Association took a survey that showed that Americans overwhelmingly prefer chocolate instead of flowers (69 vs. 31 percent) on Valentine’s Day.  The survey showed that women are a little divided on the matter, however, with 59 percent preferring chocolate compared to 83 percent of men.

Caramel is the most popular flavor in a box of Valentine’s Day chocolates, with 34 percent of the responses. Chocolate-covered nuts also scored high (24 percent), with cream-filled (13 percent) and chocolate-filled (13 percent) rounding out the pack of top choices.

NCA’s survey found purchasing habits have changed slightly compared to five years ago, particularly regarding health-related decisions. Twenty-eight percent of respondents said they are buying more healthy options, such as dark chocolate or chocolate with added nuts and fruit.  Roughly 20 percent are buying more portion-sized seasonal chocolate and candy. And, about 74 percent of those surveyed agree eating healthfully can include the enjoyment of seasonal candy.

So there will be plenty of consumption of chocolate products, the giving of flowers and cards, and many local restaurants will be doing booming business tomorrow.  My wife and I have already mapped out our strategy for maximizing our schedule for a movie and dinner tomorrow.  And, yes, we do plan to see "Old Fashioned"!  

It is a fun occasion, and a great opportunity for us to bless and show love to that special person in our lives.  I wanted to think briefly about the word, "indulge."  Temporarily, couples will be indulging tomorrow - in some delicious foodstuffs and sharing presents with one another.   I began to think about what we as believers indulge in.  In the New International Version, Galatians 5:13 reads:

13 You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. [emphasis mine]

The Bible is very clear that we are not to indulge the flesh - in other words, to tolerate sinful behavior and patterns in our lives.  If what we do is not pleasing to God, if it does not reflect His standards or His nature, then we are called not to participate.   So, in seeking not to indulge the flesh and walk in the Spirit, we must rely on the conviction of the Holy Spirit, allowing Him to identify those areas in our lives where we walk in darkness.

Fortunately, I am glad that when the Spirit points out to us what is not pleasing to our Heavenly Father, He doesn't leave us helpless or powerless.  We can reverse those patterns in our lives by applying the truth of God's Word - we incorporate His principles and His power to address those sinful areas.

And, finally, we remember that we do immerse ourselves in the things of the Spirit - we recognize that we have been set free by the power of God, in order to enjoy a relationship with Him.  We can walk in triumph over the ways of the world that would seek to ensnare us.  We can be delivered from secret sins and abide in the righteousness of God in Christ.