the verse that started it all almost a year ago (i've inserted my name cause that's how i like to read it :) .....
(this is Jesus talking) andrea, andrea, look out! satan has asked to sift you like wheat. but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. and you, when you have turned back, strengthen the brothers. Luke 22:31,32
i was so flooded with emotion when i read this verse for the first time. i was in an ugly place in the thought battles in my mind. you know the uglies.....pride, arrogance, judgemental thoughts, impure thoughts, neediness, oversensitivity, overthinking, wrong motives, unforgiveness, complaining, negativity, potty mouth, potty mind..... and i'm sure the list could go on of all the things that i detest about my 'SELF' that were rising to the top of the 'sifting'. we ALL got uglies! raise your hand if you got uglies.....its ok its blogworld here, nobody is gonna see but you and God. :) recognizing and admitting the uglies is a HUGE step in the right direction!
it blew my mind, and my love for Him swelled to read....HE IS PRAYING FOR ME!!!! we are talking about THE ONE AND ONLY GOD OF THE UNIVERSE people!!!! insert your name....He's praying for you too!
so why in the world am i talking about it today? well those thoughts don't ever go away completely. it's what we do with them. our response is our responsibility. we can:
A) choose guilt and focus on that thought, entertain that thought and allow satan a foothold and the longer we entertain that desire....it becomes a stronghold. and takes you WHOOSHING into those dark, ugly, nasty, PITiful places. this is where the LIES are. that satan wants you to believe that you are that judgemental, arrogant, impure, complaining, negative person (insert your ugly). sooooo :) i say 'I DON'T THINK SO SATAN!! I CHOOSE B!!'
B) CHOOSE CONVICTION!!!! i recognize the ugly, confess and repent it to Him, lay it down for HIM to take care of (NOT ME!) and start running towards loving HIM! andrea IN CHRIST is fully able at this point to be full of JOY, LAUGHTER, LIGHT, PURITY, HONESTY, CLEAR CONSCIENCE, and sooooo many other things. i LOVE living here! it is life that is abundant, fresh, clear, fulfilling.
the verse that He continually brings to my mind in these moments is this:
luke 9:62 'no one who puts his hand to the plow and LOOKS BACK is FIT for service in the kingdom of God'
satan wants our focus and our energy to be spent on LOOKING BACK at our uglies....trying to fix them ourselves. instead of looking forward in the TRUTH, LIGHT, JOY, LAUGHTER and CONFIDENCE IN CHRIST!!!
soooooo let's LOOK AHEAD and be spiritually, physically and mentally FIT for service in the kingdom of God!
Mmm Mmm good things, good things! Ok so I have heard you present this before....and it just doesn't get old!! I glean something new from it everytime! Thanks for becoming a blogger! Party on!!!
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