Dear Heavenly Father,
Sometimes we forget that one of our missions in life should be to learn the spiritual lessons that You have designed for us. Through the Apostle Paul, You tell us in Romans 5:3-5(NLT), “3 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. 4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. 5 And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.” I can easily understand a person rejoicing when they are having the time of their lives, but when I first read this passage, I couldn’t see how a person could rejoice when they’re going through problems and tribulations. But this is one of the greatest lessons we must learn, to rejoice no matter what our situations look like.
In Romans 8:7, You tell us that the carnal mind is an enemy against You, and in Romans 8:8, You go on to tell us that those that are in the flesh cannot please You. This carnal mind is one that is motivated out of a desire to always do what pleases the flesh. You’ve created us to be three-part beings, spirit, soul, and body; but the body was not created to rule and govern us. It was created to be a temple where Your Holy Spirit can live.
When a person has a carnal mindset, they make a habit of allowing their emotions to take over their decision making. Instead of being guided by Your Word and Spirit, they let themselves be guided by the feelings they have about a situation or circumstance. If something feels good to them, if it is pleasurable, they engage or indulge it, regardless of what Your Word says about it. This can get people in lots of trouble, and it is a practice that has ruined many lives.
I have personally heard people make the comment that they have no self-control when they get upset or angry; they just act. This is one way to let the devil steal our power. You said in 2Timothy 1:7 that You didn’t give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control. So, any time that we are behaving in a way that is out of control, we are letting the devil have his way in our lives. You have commanded us not to ever do this. You said in Proverbs 25:28(MSG), “A person without self-control is like a house with its doors and windows knocked out.” With no windows or doors, anyone can come into our house. It is exposed to those who want to steal from us and destroy it. This is why You tell us to learn to walk in the authority of Christ by being patient and building up our endurance. Then we will exercise self-control, and we won’t be vulnerable and unprotected.
You tell us to rejoice when we face adversity and tribulations, because these challenges in life give us an opportunity to build a solid structure, where our windows and doors are not knocked out, but are firmly in place. The devil wants us to believe that our emotions and feelings are more real than Your Word. It’s very easy for us to be tricked this way, but we must not allow it. We must have faith in You. Please help us to recognize that we can endure any situation or circumstance because You will always bring us through it victoriously through Christ. Our hope in You through the Lord Jesus Christ will never lead to disappointment.
Thank You for helping us to practice self-control through any problem, and to stand firmly on Your Word, because You will fight all our battles. You tell us in Isaiah 54:17 that no weapon formed against us will prosper, and You have promised to be our refuge and strength. This is why we can rejoice when we run into problems, because it is a chance to see Your incomparable strength in action. Thank You for blessing us continually, as we trust You with all our hearts, souls, minds and strength. Thank You for our powerful Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and for Your precious Holy Spirit. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
“Windows and Doors Knocked Out”, written by K. Lizzie, edited by Reverend Fran Mack for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2019. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging Christian Women through the Word of God.