Following Christ
Following Christ is not easy. He requires us to love our enemies (Matthew 5:44); bless those who curse us, pray for those who abuse us (Luke 6:28); forgive (Luke 17:3-4), and to deny ourselves and take up the cross (Matthew 16:24-26); which are just a few of Jesus' commands. Have you found these commands easy to follow? I certainly have not. I struggle daily, especially in seasons of testing when I am already overwhelmed, frustrated, and stressed. It's easy to be tempted to act just like those hurting us. Following Christ is especially hard to do in a world that is filled with so many hurting and broken people. Those who are hurting often hurt others, and it is hard not to react when people are disrespectful, hurtful, and unloving. Jesus' commands go against everything we are taught in our world. Society tells us to be selfish and to do whatever we want. We are groomed to be entitled, self-serving, and self-centered. Additionally, all that ads and commercials tell us that if we want something, we must get it now! So how do we resist the strong urge, and sometimes natural instinct, to be narcissistic, unfriendly, defensive, hateful, or unforgiving? How do we stop reacting and/or retaliating?
Here are some helpful Bible verses I was shown:
John 3:30 He must become greater; I must become less. If we want to be more like Christ, we must give in to God's ways, and follow less of our ways.
Ephesians 4:22-24 in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth. We must remember that the old us has died, and we are now a new creation in Christ. We must not behave as we did before we knew Christ.
Romans 12:2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is‚Äîhis good, pleasing and perfect will. We must not let the world tell us what to do, but be obedient to God's commands. Reading the Bible will renew our minds.
Romans 6:12-13 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. We must fight the urge to be Satan's instrument to do harm. Even if people hurt us, we must forgive and continue loving others.
This is extremely hard to do, and I believe it will take a lifetime to accomplish. We will never be perfect, but each day brings God's new mercy and grace. Each day we can begin again to seek God, deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Christ. I tell you, some of the people who hurt me most are the ones I love the most (husband, children, family, and friends). These are the people I invite in my life, to share my ups and downs, joys and sorrows, happiness, and pain. These are the people I can truly be myself around who know and accept me for who I am. They allow me to be transparent, yet vulnerable. With relationships though, it is unavoidable for there to be conflicts, and with conflicts come hurt, pain, and unforgiveness. During conflicts, I've had my share of saying hateful and mean things; I let the anger consume the pain, and let the rage take over. It isn't much longer after that I find myself asking God for forgiveness and/or the person. I find myself doing this over and over, until I am disgusted with my actions and behavior. I'm ashamed that I let the enemy get a foothold in my relationship and life. I'm repulsed that I let the enemy use me in that capacity. So I fall to my knees, face to the floor, and plead for Jesus to help me.
As I type this, God tells me to do the exact opposite of what I feel. Not only will God reward me for my behavior, it is the best revenge to Satan for all his attacks and fiery darts he's sent my way. James 1:12 says Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Even though we belong to God, He allows us to be tried and tested; read the book of Job. There is a lot to take in, and there are many things I haven't addressed, but don't let that overwhelm you. I trust that God will guide and lead you in your situation and circumstances, and tell you what to do. Sometimes, doing the right thing will take every bit of us, and it's often easier to do what we shouldn't do, but remember that we can do all things though Christ who strengthens us (Philippians 4:13). Before the anger is pain, and we often choose to feel the anger instead of the pain. When I choose to feel the pain, and not react with anger and rage, I feel weak, defeated and defeated. There isn't much I can do other then sprawl out on the floor and sob to God. Remember that His grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness (2 Corninthians 12:9). Please trust that God is working and refining you. We must seek God daily through prayer and consuming God's Word. Christ doesn't expect us to do it ourselves; he will enable us to do it. We are more than overcomes through Christ who loves us (Romans 8:37).
Let us pray.
Father God,
I thank you for this message, and for speaking to our hearts. We are hurting and broken, and also surrounded by those hurting. Some of the people we love the most continue to hurt us, and we feel angry, defeated, weak, and frustrated. Please help us to discipline our bodies and bring it under subjection (1 Corinthians 9:27) so that we do not give Satan a foothold. Give us strength to persevere and endure. Forgive us for being disobedient, and thank you for continuing to teach us. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up (Galatians 6:9). You are our Avenger, You are our Peace. Help each one of us. Do not let our emotions dictate our future, decisions, or actions. Remind us that we are not of this world, and teach us to be like Your son Jesus. Thank You so much Father, we give You praise. In Jesus' great name, amen.
Prayerfully,
Pam
