A Lesson on "What not to do" from the Rev. Fordwick

One of my favorite episodes of "The Waltons" (ohhh! I hear groaning from my blaudience!! Come on, you really should give John Boy and the gang a try!) is from Season 1, when the Rev. Fordwick (played by John Ritter...before the days of Jack Tripper) comes for a visit to Walton's Mountain. He has just graduated from "divinity school," and is set to do his first revival right next to Ike Godsey's store. He is a "hell, fire, and brimstone" kind of speaker, based on the modeling of his teachers during his training. He sees himself above everyone else, and uses scripture to verbally rebuke anyone who might come against it. This rubs John Walton Sr. the wrong way, as he isn't sure how he feels about God in the first place. He observes the Rev. condemning the daily actions of his family, going even so far as to yell his future Sunday sermon at the Walton kids. The Rev. loves to throw the word "Repent" around at people. He thinks every one needs to repent, and is proud of himself, because the word apparently doesn't apply to him. That is, until he mistakenly drinks too much of the Baldwin sisters' "Recipe." Oh, I love that part!!!

We have been spending some time at NewLife talking about repentance. Sometimes the very word can make people cringe....but lately, I have come to have a new appreciation for it. I think repentance has to do with brokenness, a new awakening, a fresh understanding. Repentance feels good...once you get there. There is only one thing it lacks.... an insurance policy with a clause that says, "If you truly repent over something in your life, you will be guaranteed to never do it again." Oh, how I wish that were true!!! Because at the moment I am repenting over my life struggles with pride. And I long to have humility be a deep discipline in my life. I want God to ensure me, that if I go to Him with this, and confess it to Him, it will be forever gone. As if to say, "I recognize it, God. I know it's there. Could You get rid of it, so I never see it in myself again?" Which brings me to this question.....if God would promise to forever remove a stumbling block in your life, something you are so "sick and tired of" within yourself, what would it be?