Some days it’s just plain tough being a Christian! It seems like the enemy likes to make assaults in a salvo, too, like some kind of rapid-fire machine gun. Before I was a Christian, it wasn’t that difficult. If someone crossed me, I’d just let them have it right between the eyes! When days like that come along now, I still find my generally amiable attitude can wear a little thin. Unfortunately, I have different expectations of myself now… and others are always watching to see how the “Christian” acts. Still, even now, if you were to get me at just the right moment, I might try to bite your head off! It seems like the world almost expects that attitude from people… “Stick up for yourself” they say. “Don’t let anyone get the best of you.” Obviously, I’m not there yet, but as we grow in the Lord, we can actually overcome our own attitudes, and these ungodly expectations forced on us by the world. Christ defeated Satan on Calvary’s cross, we simply need to accept that fact, claim it in His name, and focus on the Lord and not ourselves… sounds easy right! Well, here’s an example to follow better than the one I sometimes find myself setting.
“We are fools for Christ… To this very hour we [Paul, et al.] go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless. We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; when we are slandered, we answer kindly. Up to this moment we have become the scum of the earth, the refuse of the world.” 1 Corinthians 4:10-13
The real problem is our pride gets us to thinking we deserve better than we’re getting. What we deserve is hell, what we got is Grace through Jesus Christ our Lord. After that “it’s all gravy.”
Be strong in the faith, and soft in the heart!
In Christ,
PastorJimKilby @Kilbin8er
Jim@JamesKilby.com