My husband and I decided to run a few errands today. We were planning on making a few purchases and doing an exchange.
Beau scored some amazing deals. He found his favorite Solomon shoes on sale for half-off at the outdoor store. When checking out at the register he learned that he had a store credit from years ago (?) and ended up with $150 pair of shoes for $32! Wow!!! I was amazed.
Then we headed to return a shirt of his, in hopes of an even exchange. When we arrived, we found the shirts were marked down from $80 to $21! Another wow!!! He got 2 for the price of 1.
We were on a roll!!! I couldn't wait to see what was in store for me!!!
So I decided I should check out one of my favorite stores. My aunt had given me her employee discount card which I had used a number of times. Technically, it is in my dad's name -immediate family - but this is a women's clothing store and we had both been told that it was perfectly ok for me to be the primary holder.
What in the world could go wrong? We had gifted discount after discount today.I I figured at this rate, I would probably get my purchase for free!!!
Not so fast blondie......
I had found an exquisite dress, one in which the fabric was so fantastic I might not EVER take it off.
I couldn't wait to use the 25% discount card as it has NEVER been a problem before....
before NOW.
Before this new, bossy, control freak manager came on the scene.
Absolutely NOT, she said. Your dad will have to make the purchase, seeing the employee is his sister.
BUT, I'm his daughter, he doesn't ever shop here. I have had the ok from more than enough other managers...I felt like I was a five year old pleading my case before a principle.
The manager was about 10 years younger than me with an attitude of.... well, I'm not going to say.
Because, the bossy, control freak, and plenty other adjectives I may have used, is not really ANY of my business.
My business is not who this person is, or what this person does, and it definitely isn't any of my business if this person OFF-ended me.
My business is me. My response, my reaction.
While my normal or even first reaction might be, "OFF with her head!!!!" It isn't my place to say so.
While my normal or even first reaction might be, "OFF with her head!!!!" It isn't my place to say so.
We have the right to influence others through our actions or not.
Positive or Negative. The choice is ours.
Love or hate. Peace or Anger.
I left angry, irritated and confused.
What had I "DONE" to make this situation arise? I had been nice to everyone I've come across this lately, right? Had I not helped everyone who's needed me recently? I could not think of any negative seeds I had sown...
These questions literally went through my head.... What had I done to get treated this way?
The answer is: There are many reasons why I reaped this kind of treatment and it wasn't until my sister brought it to my attention that I awoke out of my Defense mode.
What had I "DONE" to make this situation arise? I had been nice to everyone I've come across this lately, right? Had I not helped everyone who's needed me recently? I could not think of any negative seeds I had sown...
These questions literally went through my head.... What had I done to get treated this way?
The answer is: There are many reasons why I reaped this kind of treatment and it wasn't until my sister brought it to my attention that I awoke out of my Defense mode.
It isn't always about us! We want to think that it is, that is normal selfish thinking.
However, there is something deeper, something greater going on in the spiritual realm and I live my life to be a part of it. In fact, I awake every day "proclaiming war on the dark forces." I live to do battle with Satan himself.
But guess what? He doesn't play fair! And spiritual warfare is not battling demons and ghosts. Spiritual warfare is responding to people and situations in a manner of how Christ might have responded.
For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:12 NLT)
When Christ was tormented, tortured and was hanging on the cross, He cried out,"Father forgive them for they know not what they do!"
He meant, they don't understand that there is a spiritual battle going on against me, they don't understand that they are being guided by the enemies unctions and thoughts to carry out the things they were doing.
The most important aspect to always remember is that:
The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. (John 10:10 NLT)
The enemy comes to steal our joy. He comes to steal anything he can at the most opportune time- when we least expect it!
My prayer this week had been for the Lord to help me to grow in grace and to help me not to get IRRITATED so easily.
So how might the enemy attack me?
Right in the middle of a purchase of a dress I fell in love with...one that I could already see myself wearing. He also knows, I refuse to pay full price for almost anything...
A simple purchase turned into a full spiritual battle.
How did I do?
Horrible. I lost. I didn't show grace for the manager doing her job...regardless if the other managers had ok'd my purchases in the past.
AND I got extremely IRRITATED!!!!
I don't know this young woman, obviously, but I needed to be that "Light" to her. I needed to be an exemplary person. I should have reached in my purse, handed her the card that says "God loves you" and paid full price.
But I didn't....
I'm writing this to show the subtleties of spiritual warfare. To expose the simple tactics of the enemy on a daily basis.
And most importantly to bring to attention: It is not by our works that we are blessed or not. It is only by God's grace and love and mercy. The grace He shows us daily, we must, in turn, show those around us.
So how might the enemy attack me?
Right in the middle of a purchase of a dress I fell in love with...one that I could already see myself wearing. He also knows, I refuse to pay full price for almost anything...
A simple purchase turned into a full spiritual battle.
How did I do?
Horrible. I lost. I didn't show grace for the manager doing her job...regardless if the other managers had ok'd my purchases in the past.
AND I got extremely IRRITATED!!!!
I don't know this young woman, obviously, but I needed to be that "Light" to her. I needed to be an exemplary person. I should have reached in my purse, handed her the card that says "God loves you" and paid full price.
But I didn't....
I'm writing this to show the subtleties of spiritual warfare. To expose the simple tactics of the enemy on a daily basis.
And most importantly to bring to attention: It is not by our works that we are blessed or not. It is only by God's grace and love and mercy. The grace He shows us daily, we must, in turn, show those around us.
Our losses are most often brought on by our responses to the enemy's tactics in simple situations.
It wouldn't have mattered how many good deeds I did this past week or how many bad ones I was responsible for.....
God does not love us more or less based on our attitude or self-effort.
He loves us through GRACE!!!
All He asks is that "We love Him and love our neighbor as ourself." In doing this, He says, He will know we are His.
Loving our neighbor is not so easy sometimes and it doesn't even have to come from our self effort, it is God's love through us that helps us love our neighbor.
I must remember to practice these simple rules :
1) take a deep breath
2)count to 10 and
3)then let the love of God take over.
It is far to easy to act selfishly. Someone offends us and we want to defend our SELF. But that isn't at all how we should do battle.
Fighting the good fight of faith is knowing that God's grace is sufficient for us and all those around us. His love for us doesn't change based upon our works, it was given to us paid in full through His Son, Jesus.
We must also know that this battle's greatest weapon is resistance :resisting how we would REALLY like to respond and instead, responding the way that God would like us to respond.
This is the key to learning to live selflessly. This is what it means to suffer: to with-hold your initial response or reaction and allow God's love to flow through you.
It wouldn't have mattered how many good deeds I did this past week or how many bad ones I was responsible for.....
God does not love us more or less based on our attitude or self-effort.
He loves us through GRACE!!!
All He asks is that "We love Him and love our neighbor as ourself." In doing this, He says, He will know we are His.
Loving our neighbor is not so easy sometimes and it doesn't even have to come from our self effort, it is God's love through us that helps us love our neighbor.
I must remember to practice these simple rules :
1) take a deep breath
2)count to 10 and
3)then let the love of God take over.
It is far to easy to act selfishly. Someone offends us and we want to defend our SELF. But that isn't at all how we should do battle.
Fighting the good fight of faith is knowing that God's grace is sufficient for us and all those around us. His love for us doesn't change based upon our works, it was given to us paid in full through His Son, Jesus.
We must also know that this battle's greatest weapon is resistance :resisting how we would REALLY like to respond and instead, responding the way that God would like us to respond.
This is the key to learning to live selflessly. This is what it means to suffer: to with-hold your initial response or reaction and allow God's love to flow through you.
Learning to live this way, will allow us or God within us to influence others, instead of allowing them to influence us.
Yes, I failed today but I will try again tomorrow. Every day is a new day and God's mercies are new every morning.
"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." Romans 8:1
I can't wait to see what tomorrow holds!!!!
So much great stuff here. Its so nice to see such a deep level of thoughtful introspection. And, how great it is to see such a reliance on Grace. I have a thought or suggestion, however.
ReplyDeleteI would challenge you to lean even more on God's grace. Of course God's Grace is larger and more comprehensive than we could ever describe, but I think we can get a more biblical understanding of it by developing a better understanding of human nature.
We are stuck. For the most part, human nature is rather fixed (in place). By God's grace, people do change. However, in my experience, that change has almost nothing to do with our action. I say "almost" because we do contribute something...our stubbornness!
I think the biblical picture of human change is that of death and resurrection rather than sickness to health. When it comes to my sin (before and after salvation) what I don't need is a coach or a helper or advice or trying harder. Rather, I need a savior to substitute himself in my place. Thankfully thats what we have.
Likewise, that savior doesn't need our permission. After all, what kind of permission can a dead man give? And what kind omnipotence does God have? The kind that ends at our stubbornness?
And make no mistake Free Will (IF we had it) is NOT a gift. In my brokenness, I am prone to deny and turn away from God and his grace. Did God give us the horrible freedom to determine our destiny based on our state of mind? I hope not. My hope is in the God of Paul of Tarsus in whom we are "predestined". Who chose me "while we were yet sinners".
So, what does this mean? If, as I believe the Bible clearly indicates, we are always going to struggle with our broken nature, the primary struggle is that I don't believe how bad my problem is and how big God's grace is to restore me. My primary struggle is not to be a better Christian.
We are passive in how God uses us. You used the example of "light" in your post. Like a mirror, we can only reflect the grace God has given us- towards others. We don't generate the grace. We don't wipe the dust off of the glass so the light shines more. we don't choose to whom we will show God's light. And, we don't have the ability to turn that light off. God will use us as he will. Its not that, as you say, we "must" show people grace. We cant help but show people God's grace. it is how God uses us.
This is the depth of God's grace (thats missing from most churches): That God's grace is even sufficient for Christians. That he is fully in charge of our sanctification as well as our justification. That our struggle is not to change our brokenness but to trust that his grace is bigger than it. That our fight is not against our remaining sinfulness but against our inability to believe God can use us in the midst of it.
This is Deep Grace. Scandalous Grace. Grace that can melt a Pharisee like me. The Grace of the cross and not of the life coach. We will never extinguish our sin by trying harder. But if we truly understand that our good works are not up to us, we wont be able to stop loving others.
I would challenge you to reconsider "resistance" as the greatest weapon in this battle. After all, Ive yet to meet a mirror who could resist reflecting even the dimmest light.
So thank you for this and all your wonderful posts. There is so much great stuff here and I find it very encouraging.
Thanks for your reply ;) I'm happy you are reading this ;)
ReplyDeleteHowever, I believe very differently. And it's fine by me to agree to disagree.
I have learned through my experiences and relationship with my Father that He has so blessed us with free will. I once was bound by my mind but I am no longer a prisoner!
If God had not given us free will, we would all be like puppets and slaves to our minds and selfish nature.
If we were not given this free will, we would not have been instructed to "Cast down every evil thought that exalts itself against the knowledge of God." 2 Corinthians 10:5
Check out my other posts if possible, that's actually why I started this blog.
People are so bound by what they've been taught instead of seeking God's will in their every day thought-life, words and actions and in doing so, they find themselves defeated by the enemy in many situations. They then lay the blame on God - cursing him for THEIR outcome to their decision.
The Holy Spirit was given to us for this very reason.
"But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come." John 16:13
If we were bound without free will then God would not speak of His Word as life-giving. There is freedom in being a Christian, it is a resting place where we can allow the Lord to love through us and carry our burdens for us. It is a beautiful place free of condemnation, guilt, worry and fear.
"Where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." 2 Corin 3:17
However, through my free will, I must make choices every day in every situation to strive to be more like Christ and allow Him to shine through me.
Yes, He always resides within me, HE will NEVER leave me nor forsake me (as I know through serious experiences) but my mind or self far too often gets in the way of my spirit being.
"As He (Jesus) is, so are we in this world.." 1 John 4:17
We should live like Jesus, to only say what our Father says and do as our Father does (John 5:19) but that takes WORK!!!! If it were easy to be Christ-like then everyone would be doing it! lol
That is the struggle that I am describing here...My part in this life God has given me.
God's Word says, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue." Prov 18:21
His Word also tells us that the choice is ours:
"This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live." Deut 30:19
I wish I could say I was perfect and that I was always a light for all to see but that is not always the case. There is an internal struggle against the mind (Free will, emotions) and the spirit. I live to develop my spirit being into what God has planned for me to be, but the choice is mine. I can choose life or death, blessings or cursings..