Do something about it
Psalm 18:29 With your help I can advance against (run through) a troop, with my God I can scale (leap over) a wall.
Rather than talk about and bemoan your situation, why don’t you do something about it? The world is full of people who talk about their situation in life and rarely get up to do something about it. Self pity amongst other things kicks in and then they become victims of depression and self condemnation while listening to everyone else except looking at the facts before them. Many people who are with God behave like people who are without God in this matter of lethargy. I often wonder if they don’t get tired of themselves.
I on the other hand have seen enough in this world to last me an eternity and so I have chosen to do something about it. The first thing I decided to do about it is to stop condemning myself over every little thing. What I discovered about myself was, I was a perfectionist till I met the Perfect one and then realised I will never measure up to HIM. Added to this, I found out that I do make a lot of mistakes and so, that too made it clear to me that I was not perfect. When I realised this, I stopped receiving the condemnation imputed by the devil and others to me including self condemnation. The truth is, no one is perfect and therefore, cannot judge another by their own standards or by the standards of others. After I stopped condemning myself, I got out of the self pity party. The “woe is me” trip was stopped in its tracks by deciding that I was the only one feeling sorry for myself. Rather than trying to trap others into my way of thinking, I began to release people from me. I stopped hanging around people who were negative and who could not direct me in love and in the truth. I also stopped blaming myself for every little mistake or inability I had. I realised I was not this perfect person who knew everything and could do everything. I realised it was coming from pride and not inadequacy. The truth was, I was limited and could not do everything or be everywhere or control everything. I realised I was not God. This came as a big relief because then I could be who I am without worrying about who I am. Once I admitted my faults and shortcomings and failure in character, I was able to do something about it. Fixing those issues in the light of a higher standard than myself in Jesus took some effort. The only way out was to persevere and accept my faults and shortcomings and meet with a gracious and loving God who helped me become me. The conflict in my mind was self inflicted. Many blame the devil and he is to be blamed but not for what I myself can control in the flesh through the Spirit.
The third thing I began to do was to attack depression caused by the devil, circumstances and people. I stopped it by praise and worship to God based on His verse as follows. Isa 61:1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me;…. Isa 61:3 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified. When I realised through the teaching of Derek Prince that heaviness equalled depression and that it was an evil spirit, I did what he did, which was to praise God according to the scripture. Within a week, depression left me and never came back. Though it tried, I knew its form and rejected it. I suddenly had power over it to defeat it by rejecting what was spoken, heard or seen by not attributing it to myself. Even world events no longer had power over me as my hope was now in the ONE who had conquered the grave. Suddenly, I did not have to deal with anything negative because Jesus had dealt with it. I simply had to accept it.
The fourth thing I started to do was, employ the scriptures on my behalf. It was hard in the light of the journey God had me on. Yet, it would seem He knew what He was doing. I certainly did not understand it and bemoaned my situation to Him but He relentlessly led me in the path I should go. As God led me through the wilderness, I realised I was being sustained by Him and not by my efforts. The supernatural came into play and though I did not understand much of it, I learnt many things along the way. I soon became stronger but still lived in wonderment of His ways as they were very painful. What God wanted me to understand was that, I was not to compare myself to others. Once I understood I was uniquely called and chosen, I stopped worrying about others. Mind you, this did not happen overnight but happened as I did something about it through the knowledge of the word. The Bible is a great teacher when you employ the Anointing. He teaches you and you become strong through the word which is Spirit and life to the soul and spirit of man.
What most Christians do not understand is, there isn’t another person like God in the entire Universe. Therefore, man goes about trying to conform to man and the representation of life in this world, wanting to belong and be seen as one of the crowd. What a waste of God’s investment in uniqueness of His creation. No two blades of grass or snowflakes are the same. Imagine a Creator who can do that. Why then do we limit ourselves to comparison? I believe we compare to create in our thinking a comfort zone. This is how the fashion of this world flourishes. Many want to look like another or behave like another in the hope that they can belong. The same thing happens with the Christian world when comparison is made about the anointing that another carries. Many try to imitate and get what another has by way of what God has blessed another with. If they can’t get it, they try to manufacture it so that they can look and behave the same.
Comparison is a killer of identity which God has given to each one of us uniquely. Unity and conformity is not given by God to us so that we all look and behave like each other. It is given so that we all will conform to the image of Jesus and His character while retaining our individuality. This is the power of God in birthing sons and daughters who are unique. Wow, this is unity in diversity. Though the body is one, yet it has many members and they do not look or function like another body part. Creation itself is an embodiment of unity in diversity uniquely different. No two people are the same. I love that because not only does it give me identity but relationship with God and others that is unique. I can be me and yet agree with another on the same subject and have the same thoughts and do the same things others do. This is where, the gifts of the Holy Spirit and the power of God also work uniquely. Apostle Paul asks this question that delivers me from trying to be everything to everybody or for that matter to God. 1Co 12:27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. 1Co 12:28 And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues. 1Co 12:29 Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles? 1Co 12:30 Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret? 1Co 12:31 But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.
Apostle Paul concludes with the one common attribute that all should possess without which no gift is made valid even if one possesses it. That common ingredient is love. Love possesses in it the power to bring validity and value to everything it touches. So, even though one may not possess a gift in the natural or the spiritual but have love, they are greater than the one who possesses a gift and does not have love. 1Co 13:13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity. Charity is love and one must possess it but they can only possess it when they are possessed by it. Love is the person of God, for God is love who expresses this attribute of His character in His own way. This varies according to the need. When man needed salvation, God expressed His love through His Son Jesus whom He gave as a sacrifice to save the world. Joh_3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. When man needed ongoing confirmation of God’s love, He sent the Holy Spirit into men who believed. Rom_5:5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. When, we needed assurances of His love in dark and difficult times, God chose the scriptures to speak to us of His love and support. 1Th 1:5 For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.
I do believe that many Christians in particular are striving with God, man and their circumstances. What is unnecessary in life is being brought about by one’s own self. Instead of accepting what God says about us, many are listening to their own voices and the voices of the devil and others whom they seem to admire. They admire these people because it looks like they have made it and look good. The examples in life one chooses for themselves seem to be mostly human, while very little regard is given to the character and nature of Christ Jesus who is the exemplification of all truth and perfection. Not only is Christ our perfection, He is our all in all in every arena of our lives.
Without this person of Christ to look toward, we will believe the lie of the world that has been developed by the devil that we need to conform to world standards and fashion. Many are just going along because they do not want to cause ripples. This will end in death and destruction for them. More than ever, we are faced with choices. If we do not make the attempt to do something about our situation in the light of the gospel, we will end up being worldly and live miserable lives while pretending the whole time that everything is okay.
Lots of love
Pastor Noble
15/10/17