To start, last night as I was falling to sleep, random memories from college came flooding to mind and one involved four ladies at around 3 or 4 am on the Quad... the feeling of that moment and the utter, jaw-dropping realization of being found out came rushing to mind and I burst out laughing. Priceless! And Stephen probably thinks I laugh in my sleep. (Our walls are super thin!)
Then today, in 3rd grade, I got a snapshot view of my time as a 5th grader at Jefferson Elementary School. In 5th grade, my best friend's name was Drew Hinkle. We hung out all the time in school and were in charge of our class' garden scarecrow-man. This means that we got to miss class for a few minutes every day going to set him out and check our garden patch. We also became trash duty and would take the trash out to the dumpster at the end of the day and waste time just goofing off. One day, we got a trash bag stuck in a tree and that was hilarious! Also, Drew used to tell me that I could sing so well that I used to "sound like that girl who sings MmmBop." Good, good times. Two kids, Jose Antonio and Gladys, in the third grade at Angel Frigola remind me so much of Drew and myself back in the good ol' days. They laugh and try and steal small chatter behind a computer thinking we can't see them but we totally can. It was such a cool feeling to remember those moments and the fun I had growing up and hanging out with Drew in Ms. Gillis' class!
The last bit of today was just an insight into how much time I have been getting to spend in the Word. It has been incredible and this weekend was no different. I am getting so filled with messages of love and grace and hope! I've gotten a crash-course in Heaven that has been so amazing. I'm once again reminded that the physicalness of Heaven pales in comparison to the emotional and spiritual fulfillment that will exist on the day we are reunited with Jesus Christ :) No more guilt, no more shame, no more suffering or pain, no more rejection, no more loneliness... doesn't that sound so sweet? It's making me pray that God literally starts scaring the Hell out of people more and more. A powerful thing I heard recently: in the end, you either stand alone or you stand with Jesus.
Also, I have been getting reminders to call myself into battle over my soul day after day. It's an ongoing battle. Some things I read today in Shame Off You:
You may have your moments of miraculous accomplishment. You may stand on the platform with the Olympic gold upon our neck. You may become the president of your kindergarten class, the president of the PTA, or the president of the United States. You may win the lottery, win the hand of your beloved, or win the admiration of a whole society. But this side of Heaven, there will never be a season so sweet, nor a platform so high that you will be exempt from the attack of the enemy. (p 146)
Never be tempted to excuse yourself from the battle. Never, while you live in this broken world, imagine there will be a day when you can safely shed your spiritual armor and declare the war to be over... No matter what level of spiritual maturity you might attain, the enemy of your soul will fight and contend with you until your last breath. Why should you find that encouraging? Because once you realize that the battle will never be won in this life, once you realize that you will always be in process, yet never achieve perfection, then you'll be ready for the Jezebels. (p 149)
Never be tempted to excuse yourself from the battle. Never, while you live in this broken world, imagine there will be a day when you can safely shed your spiritual armor and declare the war to be over... No matter what level of spiritual maturity you might attain, the enemy of your soul will fight and contend with you until your last breath. Why should you find that encouraging? Because once you realize that the battle will never be won in this life, once you realize that you will always be in process, yet never achieve perfection, then you'll be ready for the Jezebels. (p 149)
In some of the sermons I have been listening to, the pastor spoke about Galatians 5:16-26 (the fruits of the Spirit). In it, he highlights that there is a choice that must be made. In verses 16, 18 and 25, the choice is to: live by the Spirit or gratify the desires of the flesh; be led by the voice of the Spirit or be led by the flesh; be in step with the Spirit or go my own way.
So how do we go into battle for our soul? Prayer, pruning (John 15), power and partnership with God! Prayer helps us in moments of choosing whether to respond in the fruits of the Spirit or in the flesh. It reminds us that we need God's help in attempting to act like Him! Pruning puts the shears in our hands and allows us to cut out the sin that is taking grip in our souls. The power of the Spirit reminds us we cannot do this alone: if we go to spiritual battle without God, WE WILL LOSE. We must have the power of God to help defeat the enemy! And finally, partnership. He leads, I follow. He instructs, I obey.
Every time I say no to the flesh, I up the power of my armor against the enemy. Every time I give into the things of this world, I turn my heart a little further from God. That message has been sobering and it's going to lead to a very cool, hard, interesting next few weeks or months or years as I try and remain conscious of the battle raging, of the fact that there is so much more going on than what my eyes can see.
So how do we go into battle for our soul? Prayer, pruning (John 15), power and partnership with God! Prayer helps us in moments of choosing whether to respond in the fruits of the Spirit or in the flesh. It reminds us that we need God's help in attempting to act like Him! Pruning puts the shears in our hands and allows us to cut out the sin that is taking grip in our souls. The power of the Spirit reminds us we cannot do this alone: if we go to spiritual battle without God, WE WILL LOSE. We must have the power of God to help defeat the enemy! And finally, partnership. He leads, I follow. He instructs, I obey.
Every time I say no to the flesh, I up the power of my armor against the enemy. Every time I give into the things of this world, I turn my heart a little further from God. That message has been sobering and it's going to lead to a very cool, hard, interesting next few weeks or months or years as I try and remain conscious of the battle raging, of the fact that there is so much more going on than what my eyes can see.
Have hope in Him - He will not lose!
No comments:
Post a Comment