Lately I have felt very discouraged. It seems no matter how hard I try I can't get out of this rut of discouragement. Ever felt like that??? Every time I turn around WHAM! I am reminded of past sin and current things that I struggle with. You ask, well don't you pray about this current situation? The answer is yes, I do!
The key here is in the second sentence. Go ahead read it again......... "I try" that is right, that is where I go wrong, where we all go wrong. Yes, I pray and that is a sound thing to do and yes if there are things God is asking you to change then, do it. However, what God tells us is to rely on Him and His strength not our own.
You see as much as I hate to mention the name, Satan is who is reminding me of my past and all the ways I am imperfect. I strive so hard to be Christ like. Christ is perfect and I am not and never will be.( See the problem again "I strive" and thus my discouragement) I get caught up in this and forget that Christ is not asking me to be perfect, he is asking that I be a willing vessel to let His love flow, not my love. I cannot love the way He does. I need to remember that I am covered by the blood of Christ and God sees His perfection. I am forgiven and blanketed by the blood of Christ.
The point is I will never be perfect and being a Christian is not about being perfect or even trying. You and I, will fail every time. Being a Christian means surrendering all to Christ and turning it all over to Him. He will take care of the rest. Do you know that I already know this and still get discouraged. I rely on this human flesh sometimes and that is where I falter and Satan attempts to creep in. Well, I prayed about being discouraged for quite a while and God met me at the Throne of Grace on Sunday. He reminded me of all of this by way of our transitional Pastor. He did not take the discouragement away immediately. You know why? Because, suffering is good. It does not feel good but here is what it does for you. "More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us" Romans 5: 3-5. I tell you I was praying but more importantly the Holy Spirit was groaning and interceding on my behalf asking for what I could not.
So, on Sunday as the Pastor was giving the sermon and it was hitting home I just thanked God and Praised Him, for His love endures forever! Know what else the Pastor said and I love this. "When Satan reminds you of your past, remind him of his future." That is just what I did!!! Then the Pastor said and remember your future!! Heaven, in glory with our Father forever!!!!! I knew I had to share this and as I was thinking today about how to share I heard one of my favorite songs "Lord I need you" by Matt Maher. This song says it all! Lord, I come, I confess bowing here I find my rest, without you I fall apart, your the one that guides my heart. Lord I need you oh I need you, every hour I need you, my one defense my righteousness, oh God How I need you. Where sin runs deep your grace is more........ Go to YouTube and listen to the song it is such a perfect description of relying on our Savior! It talks about God meeting you just where you are.
In Christ love and I hope this post finds you relying on Jesus and not yourselves.
Mandy
The key here is in the second sentence. Go ahead read it again......... "I try" that is right, that is where I go wrong, where we all go wrong. Yes, I pray and that is a sound thing to do and yes if there are things God is asking you to change then, do it. However, what God tells us is to rely on Him and His strength not our own.
You see as much as I hate to mention the name, Satan is who is reminding me of my past and all the ways I am imperfect. I strive so hard to be Christ like. Christ is perfect and I am not and never will be.( See the problem again "I strive" and thus my discouragement) I get caught up in this and forget that Christ is not asking me to be perfect, he is asking that I be a willing vessel to let His love flow, not my love. I cannot love the way He does. I need to remember that I am covered by the blood of Christ and God sees His perfection. I am forgiven and blanketed by the blood of Christ.
The point is I will never be perfect and being a Christian is not about being perfect or even trying. You and I, will fail every time. Being a Christian means surrendering all to Christ and turning it all over to Him. He will take care of the rest. Do you know that I already know this and still get discouraged. I rely on this human flesh sometimes and that is where I falter and Satan attempts to creep in. Well, I prayed about being discouraged for quite a while and God met me at the Throne of Grace on Sunday. He reminded me of all of this by way of our transitional Pastor. He did not take the discouragement away immediately. You know why? Because, suffering is good. It does not feel good but here is what it does for you. "More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us" Romans 5: 3-5. I tell you I was praying but more importantly the Holy Spirit was groaning and interceding on my behalf asking for what I could not.
In Christ love and I hope this post finds you relying on Jesus and not yourselves.
Mandy
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