We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed and broken. We are perplexed, but we don't give up and quit. ~ 2 Corinthians 4:8 (NLT)
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + +
Have you ever seen those gizmos that's supposed to relieve stress by squeezing them? Maybe the stress relief is in squeezing the life out of something that's inanimate, I don't know. I saw one once that looked like nothing more than a water balloon with sand in it. (gee, I could do that and make millions... :-) When you squeeze it, the sand is displaced and the balloon gets contorted...but it doesn't burst. When you let go, the gizmo goes back to it's original shape.
So it is with being a Christ follower. When we choose to follow Him and be under His authority, the Holy Spirit of God comes into our being, and we are changed (2 Corinthians 5:17). No longer the walking dead...we are spiritually alive! But, there is a price to pay for this choice. We have an enemy who wants to squeeze the life out of us. And he uses any and every opportunity to get us to give up, to throw our faith in the trash. When relationships go bad, jobs are hard to come by, and the doctor has something to show you on the x-ray, Satan is right there to squeeze and contort your spirit, to bring doubts in your mind to question your God. When you're harassed for your faith by a superior who thinks this "Jesus stuff" is stupid...maybe a missed promotion at work or a poor grade in class...Satan wants to squeeze you til you burst.
So, are you a water balloon filled with sand that can handle squeezing, or a delicate glass ornament that shatters under the slightest pressure?
The more you test your faith, the stronger it becomes. Like working out at the gym, faith is like a muscle. Use it and you can bench press 200 lbs. of life thrown at you. Or it can get so flabby that 20 lbs. makes your spiritual arms quiver. The question is: how do we test our faith?
Try this: the next time something difficult comes your way (don't worry, it'll come sooner than you think), STOP. Don't panic, try to make it go away, or worry yourself sick. STOP. Think vertical. Think God-savvy. Think, How can I exercise my faith in this circumstance? How can I function in faith, rather than fear? How can I stand strong, and not give in to this pressure to doubt? And then, PRAY. Throw yourself at the altar of God and give Him all of your worries and cares, doubts and fears. Truly believe that He will work all things together for good through you, who love Him (Romans 8:28). What Satan uses for evil, God uses for good (Genesis 50:20). God always wins, don't ever forget that. And He is a good King, a loving Father, and a victorious Warrior. You can and should trust Him, because there is no other who can give you strength for the spiritual battles you face.
It is God who gives us the power to be flexible under the squeeze. So trust Him completely, and go be a water balloon!
Love,
Joelene
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
I think Mark 2:21-22 supports your water balloon theory.
"No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse. 22 And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, he pours new wine into new wineskins."
We are changed, as 2 Corinthians says, from old to new! New squishy wine skins that stretch and twist so that we don't burst.
Great correlation, Mike! So glad to know it's Biblical to be squishy! :-)
Post a Comment