You were running well—who stopped you from obeying the truth?
Galatians 5:7 CEB
Some days I wake up and feel like "Dear God, what you have called us to do is ridiculous. There is NO way we can follow you and do as Christ did in this world that is so full of corruption, deceit and pain." And then God reminds me what Jesus had to endure leading up to his death. Then my rebuttal is "Jesus knew where he was going after, what He had to look forward to AND He knew WHO He was therefore, It made it easier for Him to endure." Then God asks me "So, I guess you figure it was easy for Him? Like, sweating blood comes natural? You have been promised all that My Son has received. You just need to embrace WHO YOU ARE IN CHRIST." I usually don't have much to say after that but my mind is often determined to take over and convince me that there is no truth in the Word and His promises and that all God has called me to do is impossible. The battlefield of the mind continues.
I have been focusing a lot on renewing of the mind, restoring the soul and killing the flesh because it is all that stands between our death, burial and resurrection. When we succumb to the desires and feelings of our mind and flesh we put ourselves in the position to remain stagnant, unhappy and miserable. I know it is hard to rise above and see past our current circumstances. I completely understand. But I also understand that in order for me to reach my full potential and all God has in store for me, I HAVE to see past it all, which includes the past, and press forward. Easier said than done. Sometimes, it is EXTREMELY difficult for me to look past all that is facing me when my circumstances appear hopeless and my vision seems far-fetched. I can literally FEEL my 'flesh' creeping up inside of me as it has resolved to self-destruct and destroy EVERYTHING I have worked so hard to accomplish. The simple fact that I am writing this now is waging war against my 'flesh' as my 'flesh' would rather be non-productive, angry, bitter, wallow in self-pity and subject myself to ways that I know will bury me and KEEP me buried.
We will all have our moments of peace and chaos, joy and grief, happiness and anger. It is natural - "in this life we will have trials and tribulation". Where this becomes 'mind over matter' is how we CHOOSE to deal with it. Although comparing myself to Jesus seems soooo ridiculous at times, it is important for me to embrace the concept in order to press forward. We all have over 'cross' to bear, just as Jesus did. However, the difference is that Jesus already set the precedent for victory. In other words, although we will have "trials and tribulation", frustrations, disappointments, chaos, sickness, unrest and discontentment... we should "be of good cheer" - be at peace, grin and bear it, laugh at it, be excited - "because He has overcome the world" - He has died WITH our 'cross', was buried WITH it, left it in hell and rose from the dead FREE and CLEAR.
Because we all have an innate sense of justice - what is fair and unfair, what is right from wrong, what we deserve from what we don't deserve - we tend to 'go to far' in this mentality as we often allow ourselves to wallow in it. And when we choose to wallow in the injustice around us, we don't give God the chance to bring us through and/or fix it. Let's bring it back to Jesus - if He chose to stay in the Garden of Gethsemane, sweating blood, calling out to God and begging Him to 'take this cup' from Him, would He have made it to the cross? The fact of the matter is this... there is NOTHING that we are asked to endure that Jesus has not already taken on and buried for us. It is our choice to resurrect ourselves without holding onto what was lost, could have been, should have been and what WE THINK should be.
This is as much a Word for me as it is for most of you. The battlefield of the mind continues as the 'flesh' is waging war against all that God has promised me. The devil is determined to test my faith and cause me to doubt God's promises. BUT the Word is and will forever have the last word. The battles is already won. I continue to challenge myself not to be like the Israelite's - grumbling and complaining about everything that seems to be going wrong as oppose to thanking God for blessing me with everything that is going well. God is in control of all things and His timing is perfect. BUT if we remain stuck, feeling wronged and/or shafted in our circumstances, it is probably because our 'flesh'/mind has us convinced that we are Israelite's (taking 40 years to make a 11 day journey) and that we would be better off being miserable and focusing on all that is not according to OUR plan.
God can change your circumstance with ONE thought... but you will never know what it is if your 'flesh' is ruling you and your mind is cluttered with complaints. Thank God for getting you out of Egypt (the old you and your old life), thank God for taking you through the Red Sea (giving you grace to get through what seemed impossible), thank God for giving you Manna every morning (for waking you up, giving you a job to go to, providing all your needs). Let's just thank God for all He has done and BRING DEATH to your fleshy, selfish, dissatisfied, discontented, complaining, nagging, critical, fault-finding, miserable, unruly, depressed self. And I will be doing the same.
Be Blessed in RESURRECTING OUR SPIRIT
I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.] - John16:33 AMP
God is Love. Love is Life. Life is in The Word.
