"I just can't press through any more... " is a common concern and theme I've heard in the last weeks. Well, WHY can't you press through? What are you doing to counter the "issue"? Yes, we DO have desert seasons, but even in the desert, we have sustenance. We have promise. We have hope. We have a future. We have a decision to be made.
I do not pretend to be a master of a pure life. I don't sit in a judgement seat, but from a mercy perspective, I encourage you that our response in righteous is easier than we complain.
Scripture tells us from start to finish, that we are a "good", "wonderful", "free" creation, destined for "priesthood." We are reminded in Corinthians that we are "a new creation; the old is gone, the new has come." Not to mention, Jesus Himself prayed that we would experience He and the Father in us just as He and the Father are within one another (see Writer's Block for further explanation).
We have a decision to be made. So much of our freedom and experiencing the Truth is a matter of setting our will and choosing such a lifestyle. For example, scriptures tell me I am free- so I choose to be free. In the moments when circumstance, feelings and emotions lead me to think otherwise, I choose all over again, to trust and believe- I am free. Often times, speaking this out loud.
When we see the lurking lies, we often get caught up in determining the "source" of the lie and trying to figure out "why we struggle with _____ over and over again." I am a firm believer in the need to cut out sources from the roots... I am a firm believer in Inner Healing and what the Holy Spirit can do when we give Him such freedom to renew our hearts and set our spirits into a whole new level of freedom. However, instead of looking for roots all the time, we need to look for the truth that contradicts that lie. When I hear that I am "filthy" and "unworthy," then I need to seek scriptures that speak of my clean heart and how the Lord has handpicked me. I need to eat and devour these verses until they take control in my heart like a natural reaction- "Duh, of course I am chosen!" When I am overcome with exhaustion, I return to verses of the Lord's strength within me. When temptation and lust are in front of us, purity and righteousness are just around the corner.
Is it a quick fix? Sometimes. Mostly, no.
When we rearrange our focus and make the choice to set our WILL to the Truth, our souls will follow. I am talking about a real choice, though. This is no, "yeah yeah, ok, you say I'm free.. so I guess, I think I'm free" sort of decision. This is a "In faith, by the strength of Jesus Christ, I choose YOU Holy Spirit and where YOU are there is freedom. Therefore, I choose to trust that I am free just as you have promised." type of decision. Like I said to a good friend last week, then it is a matter of taking our vitamins. We don't become spiritually healthy by tending to our souls first; it is the opposite. Our spirit is head over our soul and body and therefore, filling our spirit with verses of Truth is what will bring this experience of freedom. This could mean reading the appropriate verses applying to the given lie 20 times-an-hour, posting them all over your house, listening to them from an audio Bible while you sleep, or any other method the Spirit shows you.... just get the truth in there. Don't worry about your soul taking time to get the hint; I assure you that your soul WILL catch up with the Spirit of Truth.
