Tuesday, January 6, 2015

Is it really worth it?

Lately, I feel like I've been bombarded by people who ask me if I ever miss coffee, alcohol, or tea. When I made the decision to get baptized, I made a covenant with Heavenly Father that I wouldn't partake of those things anymore because He has commanded us not to. And there are times where I do miss tea, sweet tea to be exact, and there are also times where I do miss my previous occasional "strong drink." And after I tell those who ask me about it that I do sometimes yearn for those drinks, I usually get this follow-up question: "what keeps you from doing it?" Usually, because it's the first thing that pops up, is that I refrain from doing it because I hardly did it anyway, and I know I'm better off without it. Alcohol is dangerous, and to this day, my father is still a prisoner to his vice. Knowing that alcoholism can be genetic, I've always been careful to not make my drinking a habit. So, that has been my go-to answer when people ask me why I don't drink alcohol anymore.
As far as the coffee, well, I never really liked it anyway. So, I have no problem staying away from that.
For me, the hardest of all to give up has been the tea. I love iced tea, especially sweet tea. So, that has been a struggle for me. Especially because it's all my mom seems to buy anymore. Our fridge is always stocked with some type of iced tea. And it is so hard for me to say no to that.
But what I've come to realize is that every time I have an opportunity to have alcohol or tea, or do any of the things I vowed not to do anymore since being baptized, I think to myself, "is it really worth it?" A brief moment of pleasure for my taste buds is a moment of blatant and conscious disobedience to God; a moment where I would be disappointing my Heavenly Father, therefore disappointing myself; a moment where I would forsake the promises I made to Him, and would be driving away the Holy Spirit.
I may have "lost" out a few things here and there by vowing to giving them up when I got baptized, but I gained so much more. I've gained the gift of the Holy Ghost, who comforts me and guides me and reveals to me what my Heavenly Father wants me to know. And through Jesus, I've gained a friend, I've gained forgiveness, and peace and love. And everyday, I seem to gain more. I've been given so much from my Heavenly Father. While the tea, coffee, and alcohol seemed like a huge sacrifice a year ago, it is no big deal now. Satan tries to tempt me into it every now and then, but when I measure up the pros and cons, what Satan is offering me doesn't even come close to all that my Heavenly Father has given me, and all that He promises to give me if I continue on the right path.

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