Yesterday, I had an experience where I had to find a space to keep my calm, and it took so much energy. I managed to walk away from the situation without making a fool of myself and was able to resolve the situation without raising my voice. So if you have a similar situation or share in a similar personality, here’s some confidence. Most people would encourage you to lose your temper or shout at someone to show you are bigger or meaner, but in Romans 12:2 it says clearly, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
The famous phrase of fighting fire with fire used to resonate with me, and I’ll naturally react negatively. If someone got angry at me, I would get even more mad at them. If someone upsets me, I would upset them. In general, life has an unexpected way of humbling you. I’m so grateful for the lessons and experiences I’ve encountered and have grown from. It has matured and strengthened my mind. I have learned to saddle up my emotions, control it, understand it and then direct it toward something positive. Whether it’s directed toward prayer, doing something constructive at work or school, or taking a long stroll, I’ve learned to keep my emotions in check. I look for a positive outlet to a negative feeling. It’s hard, but it is worth it. And the more you train yourself, the better it feels and easier it becomes.
“It May look like I’m surrounded, but I’m surrounded by You. This is how I fight my battles.” This song, by Michael W. Smith, has been my go-to music for a few weeks now and I can’t get enough of it. It may look scary out there like you are surrounded by thousands of soldiers from the other camp. It may look like there is no way out. It may feel like just too much to handle. This is the place you fight from- the place right inside the heart of your God. His love surrounds you. His protection surrounds you. His goodness surrounds you. His faithfulness surrounds you.
Everyone is fighting some battle within. The word of God says “our struggle is not against flesh and blood (humans) but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. So it is not the person or the situation you are facing, it is the evil spirit behind the situation or person that is fighting you. But one of the many things that God gave us is the gift of music and praise. Psalm 8:2 says praise “stills” the enemy. Praise is a powerful weapon to use!
You can be sure that there will be obstacles ahead that may be deemed impossible to conquer. That’s why we need Jesus. We all have our set of struggles, but instead of being so quick to retreat to God only when we’re in the midst of battle, we should be aligning our lives with Him from the very beginning, even before the need to fight. When you become a stronghold of the Holy Spirit, with foundations built on a faithful God, no weapon forged against you will prevail. Our praise to God is how we fight our battles. Through our losses, let us rejoice in Him and through our victories, give all the praise and glory to the King.
THE BATTLE IS NOT YOURS… BUT DO YOU TRUST HIM TO HANDLE IT?
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