I took offense! “ooooo, ahhhhh, oh my, oh dear, how can that be?”
I can hear you, I know just what you are thinking, you’ve read my blog, you know I am a woman of faith, steadfast in my convictions, strong, will stand on the solid rock of Jesus until the end. That is the very core of my being. But ya know what? The enemy has come to “steal and kill and destroy:(john10:10a). That is his whole mission, I’m convinced that if Satan can’t keep us from salvation, he is going to do his best to steal our joy, destroy our hope and get us distracted.
I’ll spare you all the disgusting details and suffice to say, some words were spoken and I let them take root in my mind, until I had turned them over enough times to create the biggest ball of anxiety, hopelessness and despair you can even imagine, it was ridiculous. I was a 48 hour train wreck emotionally. I was so focused on the ‘words’ and the injustice that I completely lost my focus on the TRUTH!!! Can you believe it? I know it happens to us all but looking back I just can’t believe I even went down that path. I mean this is what we teach in our ministry, this is what my husband and live in our home. We KNOW that offense is “The Bait of Satan” (by John Bevere) I know this truth to the very core of my being and yet I was deceived.
SO, I come to you today with a warning! (it is not mine, it is Peters but I’m borrowing it for you!)
“Prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given to you.” 1 Peter 1:13
1. Be mentally alert: keep your head where it needs to be, get good rest, eat well, exercise, fill your mind and heart with GODS WORDS, read and watch appropriate things, keep your mind sharp and prepared. “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” 2 Corinthians 10: 5
2. Be self-controlled: disciplined, CHOOSE to do the right thing because it is the right thing to do, not because you ‘feel’ like it. As a matter of fact more often than not do, what you ‘don’t feel like doing’. Be slow to speak, slow to anger. Purpose in advance what you are going to do. Choose in advance not to react a certain way, or not to do a certain thing. If you know in advance you won’t or you will then when the ‘thing’ comes you’ll know what your choice is.
3. Be focused on Jesus: Seek the kingdom first, Jesus only, think on the hope of your salvation and the GRACE that is freely given. He is not going to surrender for you, you have to turn your own heart to Him!
That’s it, that’s all I got. This is what I know, when there is a train wreck in your life, you only have one choice that will work and that is to go to Jesus. I don’t know how it works, or why it works, I just know that it does. Every time, when I choose to let the ‘ickies’ fall to the side and I go ‘all in’ for Jesus, it works! And when I don’t it doesn’t.
Sitting upon the Mercy Seat,
Tracy
Wow! thank you so much for that! those are the things i needed reminded of and exactly what i needed to think on before i go out and start my day. thank you for your humility to share your time of weakness and allowing us to learn from it! i love you so much! ~Natalie