Sunday, January 27, 2008

The way I see the struggle

I've heard it said that if you talk out whats wrong that you often come up with a solution.

Right now I've pretty much realised that I don't have the mental tools to be able deal with the struggle I am trying to win.

Yes its the same struggle that I have been trying to overcome. The one with how I deal with the pressures that come with being a single man and keeping to the straight line that Jesus set. I've had good weeks and bad weeks (last week was a bad week) so I'm really trying to do the right thing here. And maybe thats the problem. I'm trying in my own strength.

In Ephesians 6:13 it says -
Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
We are told by Paul to stand. He tells us twice in this verse and again in the next. Standing doesn't seem like much but its what were told to do. In fact in James we're told the following piece of advice.

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
James 4:7
Standing and Resisting doesn't seem like a hard thing to do. Yeah, just try it when your battling and old habit that is clinging to your soul like hot bitumen to the sole of your shoe. In fact a better analogy would have been chewing gum stuck to the sole of your shoe. Its more gross and what I'm trying to get rid of is something that to many is gross and wrong. So what comes next for the repentant wanting to change his ways and break the old chains that bind him. Well James has the way ahead.

Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
James 4:8-10
Get close to God, humble yourself, change your ways. That sounds hard. I'm trying to do that, thats where I started this post. But look at the last line of James 4:10 "Humble yourself before the Lord, and he will lift you up."

Just pause a little and think about that. The Lord will lift you up. The creator of the universe the one who died and rose again will lift you up. Kings and Queens of this world lift their subjects up from poverty and obscurity to places of power and prestige. Honour and power of this world is given to them because of their connections to the monarch. How much more honour, power and prestige will be given to those who are lifted up by Jesus Christ.

I think I have answered my question here. Stand, resist, humble myself and come close to God and He will lift me up. I'll finish with the words of Isaiah about being lifted up as only he can describe it.

but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.
Isaiah 40:31