Fellow Strugglers

Published by christi on February 13, 2020February 13, 2020

Recently a reader suggested that my posts were written looking for sympathy. At first it stung  a little, but it did prompt me to look at my motives. I have some choices of how to respond when someone challenges me.

I can bristle and rebel and say “How dare you question my motives?!” And then let anger rob me of my peace and damage my relationships.

Or I can ask the Holy Spirit, that Jesus called “the Spirit of Truth,” to examine my heart. He might reassure or He might convict me, gently and specifically of something that needs to be corrected in my thinking and behavior.

There is a part of me that is not willing to follow Jesus, in fact CANNOT follow Jesus. It is utterly corrupt and vile! And it is a very real struggle to keep that part silenced. I will not be able to get rid of it until I die, but part of the everyday-ness of my life is clobbering that scaly, slimy thing over the head and telling it that Jesus is in charge, not that selfish, self-serving, self-preserving part of me. I can feed that dragon, or I can starve it!

Sometimes sympathy gives me the strength to starve the dragon. Just knowing there is another fellow-struggler who hears me can give me the courage to keep going and not give up. Following Jesus means there WILL be suffering and struggle. Peter even tells us that we are called to suffer like Jesus…it’s part of what we must and will do as His followers. And we are commanded to be tender-hearted to one another.

So, if you think I am looking for sympathy, you may be right. Ask the Spirit of Truth what He wants you to do about it. After asking the Spirit and reviewing my posts, I can truthfully say that mostly I am writing to share some of the reality of a life aimed at becoming like Jesus. Sometimes, by His power, I almost get it right!

Always, by the blood of Jesus, I am right with God!

And so are you, if you have handed your life over to Jesus.

Still #followingJesuseverydayintheeveryday,

Christi

P.S. Lent begins in just a few days. What are you planning to do to get closer to Jesus during the time between now and Resurrection Sunday? I’d love to hear your ideas!