Encouragement for False Accusations

 

I wanted to write a light hearted story today. Even I get tired of being serious and "deep" as I am often accused. However, I awoke with this quote in my head which I can apply in a lot of different ways.

Do you ever find yourself gobsmacked with a memory or a difficult thing you went through, rearing it's ugly-already-been-forgiven head, worming its way in to disrupt your peace and confidence in Jesus?

And for a minute you feel fresh pain and suffering because this thing is ongoing and ever present in your life...aka: your cross to bear. (Because the enemy will hit you in your weakest spot, I will just name those things that are my besetting sin...self-pity and self-righteousness.) You know yours. 

Then you remember and say out loud if possible..."No Satan, I have forgiven that. Don't throw this fresh pain at me. Jesus has healed my broken heart for this thing and you have no power over God Almighty and the blood of Jesus! You can't make me feel sorry for myself or accuse that person all over again with my self righteousness. Phil 3...Not having my own righteousness...Amen."

And the enemy scuttles away. Clarity returns along with the realization that this proneness to engrave our trials in marble, allowing it to define our living habits and thought patterns, isn't just a proneness but a trick of the devil. 

He wants to get us to talk about our uniqueness and feed our introverted or extroverted selves with the glorification of how we behave. He wants us to feel shame if we are introverted and our best friend is extroverted. To get us to compare and try to change each other under that guise of challenging each other, as iron sharpeneth iron, which instead becomes competition and bullying.

Our enemy wants us to focus on trials and problems and conflicts because it works so well at destroying our peace and joy. If that doesn't work he tries to get to distract us with our goodwill and sweet nature in doing and being busy. Those are good things. Don't let him have the victory in that too. Be doing for Jesus' glory not the self glory-I want to feel better about  myself.

Oh, but we have Jesus and a trajectory. We have the follow through, the end goal. We know our Redeemer lives. We know we make mistakes and are prone to wander, but we press toward the mark constantly. 

If that isn't enough, for a little extra nudge of encouragement, go read Phil 3 and 4. Good stuff there and I can't say it any better.