When I moved into my new home office about a month ago I made a solemn vow: I will only bring water into my office. No snacks, no sugary drinks, no food at all.
I figured it was a pretty good rule. You see, I had been getting into the habit of dipping into a bowl of pretzels or a handful of candy while I was working at my computer when I had my desk in the living room. It was a mindless thing and I wanted to stop. I figured if I set that rule for my new office I might get more work done and maybe lose a couple of pounds in the process.
It didn’t work out as I’d planned.
Oh, I avoided bringing food into my office. That was no problem. But what I found happening was that every time I finished an hour of editing I would leave my office, go get a snack from the kitchen, and sit by my other desk in the living room and play a game of cribbage on my iPad while I munched.
And that got to be a very bad habit. Now I was snacking every hour instead of just once in a while throughout the day. Sometimes I would grab my snack and walk with it, making sure I finished it in the doorway before I entered my office.
I’m a very silly woman sometimes.
Seems like it all boils down to legalism. That happens when we say “I will never do this” or “I will always do that.”
Legalism gets us into trouble every time. Either we drive ourselves crazy trying to live up to the impossibly high standards we set for ourselves, or we fall into despair when we fail just once.
Is it possible to live without legalism? I sure hope so.
Avoiding legalism looks like doing our best to love God and others, letting the Holy Spirit guide us through our days.
For me, that may mean trying to find some other things to do that are more beneficial when I’m taking a break from writing or editing instead of snacking too much. Sometimes it may mean enjoying a light snack in the middle of the afternoon (in my office!) while I watch an inspiring video on my computer.
When we’re tempted to “always” or “never” do something, we need to watch out for legalism. Avoiding those extremes will help us live a more balanced, fulfilling life.
“In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome.” (1 John 5:3 NIV)
Can you see legalism in any areas of your life? How can focusing on God help you let the extremes go and follow him more closely?