Make Your Day Count

CPS:  It’s a tool.

LR:  That’s right.  I had a little puppy that had a, we made, we took, you know they call them tube socks, they’re like sweat socks, and we tied a knot in it and the sock was so much bigger than the puppy, we thought he’d never be able to manage it.  But he grabbed that with his little teeth and he wasn’t going to let go.  I’ll tell you, I thought we’d rip the teeth out of his mouth before we’d get the sock out.  He was so strong in his conviction to hold on to what was his, that he wouldn’t turn it loose.  You know, we’ve got to become so strong in our convictions that no matter what the world says, we won’t turn it loose.  When I was 18 years old I was like you, Rhonda, they called me Miss Goody Two Shoes.  They called me every name they could think of, Susie Won’t, you know, all of it, the whole nine yards.  And when Iturned 18 years old, nobody would take me anywhere for my birthday.  I was the kid in school without a date.  Why take her out, she won’t drink, she won’t party, she doesn’t smoke, she doesn’t do drugs.  I was the kind that was no fun, so I didn’t have any dates.  But, you know, that didn’t stop me because I believed that the Lord had something for me.  I didn’t know what, but I didn’t–yes, but I didn’t–do you know what I said?  It was so silly, but it was so real to me.  “Why should I pay good money to get drunk and make a fool of myself, when I can make a fool of myself for nothing?”  I really meant that.  Why should I waste hard-earned money if you’re just going to excuse me–but go throw it up later, you know.  All my friends would drink until they got sick, the people that I knew.  They would drink until they got sick and then they were sick.  I didn’t want to do that.  Look at it in the natural.  If you’re on drugs, are you really happy.  Do you enjoy what you’re doing to yourself?  See, God said our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, and if you’re doing something that you don’t even believe in yourself that it’s right, then it’s very simple to stop.  Don’t worry about the peer pressure. I made it without a date in high school.  I lived through it.  I thought it would kill me, but I made it.  You can do it.  You can make it and you can make what I call reverse peer pressure.  You put the pressure on them for being silly enough to do it.  You can say to yourself, self, I’m worth more than this destruction of drugs and alcohol.  I’m worth more than that.  There’s more to life than getting so drunk that I don’t know what I’m doing or getting so high on drugs that I’m out of control of myself.  God created your body and He wants you to take care of it so He can exalt you and He can make you something.  Don’t destroy God’s working tools.  You are God’s tool.  You are God’s instrument. Don’t mess up the instrument.  God loves you and He loves you even if you’re on drugs right now.  But He wants to straighten that mess out so you can become something really wonderful for God. And He will make you happier than you’ve ever been.  He will make you more prosperous than you’ve been.  He’ll put a crown on your head like one you’ve never seen before because you’ve submitted your life to God strength to do it if you believe it. (Applause)  He will give you the strength.  He gave you the strength, Rhonda, and the faith to reverse these.  He put a crown on your head.  (That’s right.)  God will do it.