Words Of Encouragement To Start The Day (Wednesday 05/05/10)

The Enemy Within...

Romans 7:17-21 (Amplified Bible)

¹⁷However, it is no longer I who do the deed, but the sin [principle] which is at home in me and has possession of me.
¹⁸For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot perform it. [I have the intention and urge to do what is right, but no power to carry it out.]

¹⁹For I fail to practice the good deeds I desire to do, but the evil deeds that I do not desire to do are what I am [ever] doing.
²⁰Now if I do what I do not desire to do, it is no longer I doing it [it is not myself that acts], but the sin [principle] which dwells within me [fixed and operating in my soul].
²¹So I find it to be a law (rule of action of my being) that when I want to do what is right and good, evil is ever present with me and I am subject to its insistent demands.

Recently I have had several conversations with friends and people I have encountered in reference to how our past effects our present and our future. During these conversations we all discovered that no matter whether it was a childhood experiences that scarred us, an adolescent encounter that tainted us or a tremulous relationship or series of relationships in our later life that has hardened us or in some of our worse cases a combination of some or all, we have found that these experiences have deeply embedded a need in us, a deficiency, a mistrust, a insecurity, a lie, an issue or a infirmity ( whether physical, mental, emotional and or spiritual) that has effected us in our present and threatens our future. Whether it is our inability to get over it or our need to protect ourselves so it never happens again, we have an enemy that has formed within us, that most of us have embraced as a means of survival, a friend, a comfort, a coping mechanism or a way of life.

But is it healthy for us to have a enemy to God's divine order living in the same space He is trying to inhabit? Certainly not. If we have formed our own barrier, our own force field, our own means and rules by which we live, where is God allowed to have preeminence and to actually be who He is suppose to be which is Lord, Master and Savior? These types of scenarios have taught us to keep things out and away from us, to deal with things before they deal with us, to hurt before we can get hurt. The Bible instructs us in James 5:15-16 "And the prayer [that is] of faith will save him who is sick, and the Lord will restore him; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven¹⁶Confess to one another therefore your faults (your slips, your false steps, your offenses, your sins) and pray [also] for one another, that you may be healed and restored [to a spiritual tone of mind and heart]. The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working]." It also says in I Peter 5:6-10 says "Therefore humble yourselves [demote, lower yourselves in your own estimation] under the mighty hand of God, that in due time He may exalt you,⁷Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.⁸Be well balanced (temperate, sober of mind), be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring [in fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and devour. ⁹Withstand him; be firm in faith [against his onset--rooted, established, strong, immovable, and determined], knowing that the same (identical) sufferings are appointed to your brotherhood (the whole body of Christians) throughout the world.¹⁰And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace [Who imparts all blessing and favor], Who has called you to His [own] eternal glory in Christ Jesus, will Himself complete and make you what you ought to be, establish and ground you securely, and strengthen, and settle you."
We will never get to a place of being healthy, happy and at peace if we do not let go of things that were burned into us that were of a negative origin. Things that left us torn, bruised, scarred, scared, damaged, angry, bitter, hurt and less than what God intended for us to be. The enemy desires that we live below what God's desire for us is. But God's desire can be found in 3 John 1:2 "Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in every way and [that your body] may keep well, even as [I know] your soul keeps well and prospers." God wants us to be well, He wants for us to live a life full of joy, love, peace and trust, in Him, so that we can live the same way with the people around us. Take a moment and really look inside to see what motivate our actions, responses, our choices and our lifestyle. I am sure we will find it is rooted in the pains, disappointments, words and hurts of the past. God wants us to come to Him and give Him all that ails us so that He can heal us so that we can live and not just exist in our own strength!