Just imagine you’ve greatly displeased someone you truly care about. You’ve successfully worked your way up to identifying how things must have gone south. So now the appropriate thing to do is to offer an apology and then hope the receiving party can extend some grace. It seems this is the universal approach to strengthening weakened bridges however, most believers are rather quick to point the finger. The easy target? “It’s the work of the devil.” But what if- just what if - the problem is your character?
You see, our inability to look within and have the difficult conversations that shape our growth is what eventually eats at us. Sometimes it’s not God testing His strongest soldiers; it’s simply us welcoming highly consequential challenges that may have been compounded over time. The good news is that challenges are the nectar of life because they cause us to grow.
We hear the stories all the time. He cheats. She forgives. They collectively blame the devil. He cheats again. And then again. I’m certainly not disputing the fact that the devil indeed shows up to disorient us with temptations. However, it’s equally important to remember that despite the extreme hunger that followed His fast, Christ refused to turn stones into bread. Funny how we pray to be Christlike, but how many of us can truly stand our ground when the temptation knocks? How many of us can affirm in isolation that our integrity is not for sale?
Just imagine again that you’ve “miraculously” been given an option that could provide your desired pleasures today as opposed to waiting until an unknown future. It takes a certain level of willpower to walk away- which is intentionally cultivated over years through undisputed faith. But Fam, it’s not too late to turn over a new leaf today. It’s not too late to diminish your disappointment that the unexpected visitor saw your washroom wasn’t clean. Be rather expectant that the next time, the washroom would be spotless. Shifting the blame - as opposed to tackling the difficult internal work - only keeps you in the dirt. And if you truly believe that’s where you belong, then why did God breathe life into you?
-
This message was originally shared on instagram here.