Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Fighting fair!

2 Corinthians 10:1-8

     Now I, Paul, plead with you. I plead with the gentleness and kindness that Christ himself would use, even though some of you say I am bold in my letters but timid in person. I hope it won’t be necessary, but when I come I may have to be very bold with those who think we act from purely human motives. We are human, but we don’t wage war with human plans and methods. We use God’s mighty weapons, not mere worldly weapons, to knock down the Devil’s strongholds. With these weapons we break down every proud argument that keeps people from knowing God. With these weapons we conquer their rebellious ideas, and we teach them to obey Christ. And we will punish those who remained disobedient after the rest of you became loyal and obedient.
     The trouble with you is that you make your decisions on the basis of appearance. You must recognize that we belong to Christ just as much as those who proudly declare that they belong to Christ. I may seem to be boasting too much about the authority given to us by the Lord. But this authority is to build you up, not tear you down. And I will not be put to shame by having my work among you destroyed.

     How many times do we face situations where we feel like we need to take full control in order to achieve the desired outcome? We feel that without our intervention, nothing will be accomplished. From a human standpoint, that is wise thinking, but from a spiritual standpoint, nothing can be farther from the truth.

     We are human, but we are commanded to use God’s mighty weapons to wage war against the enemy. These battles come against us in many different forms, such as; arguments, jealousy, misunderstandings, and control issues. And we try to fight them in our own earthly wisdom and human tactics and the results are usually explosive. When we fight fire with fire, the result is more fire, when in reality; we hope to achieve a smooth, calming stream. We become reactors rather than relinquishing control to the one who can truly make a difference in the situation.

     Here are some of the weapons that God equips us with: prayer, faith, hope, peace, love, wisdom, His Word, and the Holy Spirit. The next time you’re tempted to step in and take control of a situation, I challenge you to stop and pray first, and then ask the Holy Spirit how to proceed. When we go into battle using God’s weapons rather than our own, the results are much more satisfying and eternal. Read Ephesians 6:10-18 for further study on God’s mighty weapons and spiritual warfare.


     Are you a control freak? When was the last time you relinquished control over to God for a situation in your life? Think about a situation that you are presently dealing with in your life, and consider releasing it to the Lord’s control. Commit to taking your hands off, and allow the Lord to resolve it, in His way and His time. Allow this to be a new beginning as to how you deal with situations from this point forward.



Have a great day!

1 comment:

  1. I love the question "are you a control freak" ha! right! When I'm in control my life is out of control, when God's in control, and I'm out of control, my life is peace and calm. So I guess I can say "I'm out of control and loving it"

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