The past week has been like a whirlwind, a storm, some parts catastrophic, or so it felt. I had a particular situation that left me quite shaken after being consumed with rage to the point of muteness, and unable to speak for a good portion of the day. The rage I felt was spurned by not being able to control a situation that I wanted to. Pride swelled within me, and I was very unamused. The irony is that in the deepness of whatever I was going through, was the still voice of the Holy Spirit moving through the sludge of my darkness. Holy Spirit’s voice had a consistent ringing in my ears of the one word I mentioned previously—PRIDE.
I’m going to be honest, while I recognized the root cause of my issue and the fact that I made a poor choice in how I reacted initially to the situation, I did not immediately acknowledge that it was my fault for a few hours. I was so in my pride and in my feelings.
As the day progressed, and I was unsuccessful at getting an ear to listen to my misery, because talking to someone usually helps, the Holy Spirit’s nudges finally resonated. I found I was no longer angry because of the situation. Instead, I became upset at myself and how I could have made the whole situation more palatable.
The reality
It was my fault. As I calmly assessed the situation along with Holy Spirit, two reminders were brought to my attention
1. A reminder from the late Dr. Myles Munroe that consequences are more important than decisions. Meaning every decision that we make in the present has consequences in the future, leading us to think seriously about the implications of everything we do.
Hard, right?
I know, but it makes sense. Decisions are not to be made on a whim but must be thought out. I can now see a different outcome had I made a different decision and the right one.
2. The other reminder funnily was from one of those one-year memories that Facebook sends to us. Talk about a word in time. It reads as follows:
SMALL STRAWS IN A SOFT WIND by MARSHA BURNS:
Shore up places of vulnerability that could be exploited. Repent for all unrighteousness of thought or deed. Pay particular attention to prejudicial injustice. I tell you the truth that any place of weakness can and will be exploited by the enemy. Choose to walk in love with everyone. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.
Imagine that. It hit like a ton of brick. Ain’t it the truth.
Now I believe you understand why I was upset with myself. As Christians, we cannot afford to live unintentionally, but we must live righteously. Righteousness keeps us on the right path. Righteousness allows us to remain worry-free and problem-free to a large extent. We will live with integrity, honesty, love, compassion, inclusivity, and every kind of positive and Godly attribute there is. We will say good morning, smile more, help the elderly, give to those who need something from us, pay the bill on time, apologize quickly, and live our lives in a way that prevents the enemy from creating havoc in our lives.
So I was feeling upset with myself, and thankfully one of my girlfriends called back. After sharing how I was feeling about myself, she reminded me to give myself grace. To remember my human nature, and that my Father understands, but importantly seek forgiveness, learn the lesson, then do better. I felt like a student in a classroom when she was through.
It doesn’t matter how far in our Christian walk we are, there will be situations where we ought to know better, but understand that the enemy is so consumed by his mandate of making us fail. So our walk will not be easy. We are not foolproof against the enemy, and so ‘living in the present‘ becomes crucial. Using the tools given to us by God consistently is critical to shore up our weaknesses. Praying, reading our Bible, suiting up with the ‘Armour of God’ (Ephesians 6:10-18), and having a relationship with the Holy Spirit are all vital to us winning.
Remember, the enemy only wins when we refuse to acknowledge our shortcomings, then seek God’s redemption, then go again.
It’s life, and believe me, we have the full support of our Father the minute we acknowledge that we are human, we do not have control, and we give Him total control.
Don’t knock yourself, acknowledge your frailty when life happens but do not use it as a crutch. Learn every lesson as it comes, and be your best for God’s kingdom
Continued Light and Love!
SAVE THE DATE
