When We Fight The Same Battles Over
I don’t like that last letter.
Every new year, I take one just to see some things about me clearly. Here are my scores:
Introvert – 44% Intuitive – 25% Feeling – 12% Judging – 44%
When I was in Corporate America, I would have all new and returning employees take the Myers-Briggs or the Jung test every new year. This helped me as a manager understand who they were as individuals and what they needed from me so they didn’t feel as employees, but part of a team, a family.
See that Judging number, I hate it. {Trust me, by no means does this give me the right to judge neither, it does, though, help me to understand my strengths and weaknesses.}
I wish it was lower or that I was more of a perceiver than a judge. My husband is 60% perceiver and the longer we are married the more I ask him how to handle things or what he thinks about a person or a situation. He’s the discerner in the house.
I can definitely say God knew what He was doing when He put us together.
Maybe you’re like me - I’m praying for more compassion for others.
So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. - Matthew 7:12
No, I need more compassion for others.
Beneath the quiet exterior, INFJs hold deep convictions about the weightier matters of life.Those who are activists - INFJs gravitate toward such a role - are there for the cause, not for personal glory or political power. - Myers- Briggs
For so many years, I’ve seen our altars filled with people that have asked Jesus in their heart for the very first time. Man, it’s awesome to see God move-in.
When they genuinely ask God to dwell in their heart, you can begin to see a change in them.
A passion - a fire has set in.
They are hungry for the Word. They want to soak in every message, every sermon, every Bible Study, and when the church doors are open, they are there.
Yet, I find myself struggling with compassion for those that go to the altar five, ten times.
It is hard for me. I am ashamed to admit that.
It is hard for me to see Christians wallow in guilt and past hurts, especially here in America when we have so much more than others.
Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed. – John 8:36
I want to grab them by the arms and look at their eyes and ask them - Do you not know the God that you serve?
Do you not know who lives inside of you and the power that you have because of Him?
Little children, you are of God [you belong to Him] and have [already] defeated and overcome them, because He Who lives in you is greater (mightier) than he who is in the world. – 1 John 4:4 (Amplified)
That you can fight any battle the enemy brings. You can fight any burden or circumstance that is thrown your way. Don’t turn to the left or to the right, keep your eyes focused on Him.
I weep for them and yet, I find me righteous in myself. I judge because the God that you and I serve is greater than our circumstance.
I don’t like myself for that.
So I ask God why?
God, why do I feel this way?
Why, God, do I see these things this way?
Then, asking a friend, she gently reminds me to ask myself – “Are you writing this with righteous anger only needing to get over yourself or is God breaking your heart because He does want more for His people.”
Lord, break me, I need Your compassion.
I struggle because I think about the great things we can do for the kingdom together because we are greater and mightier. How there would be more of us walking in confidence in the fight to win souls because we are no longer dwelling in our past hurts or sins.
Listen, I am far from perfect. No where near it.
But we have been bought with a price that was paid for you and was paid for me. We were set free a long time ago from a Man that died and shed blood for our sins, our salvation.
Who are we to lower that price, that cost, that Jesus paid for us by continually going to the altar. By continually dealing with bitterness and shame.
God is greater than that.
He deserves better than that.
I am always awed by His patience with our unappreciative attitudes of spiritual entitlement yet baffled, especially when we, like the Israelites, have already been the beneficiaries of His never-ending love and generosity. - Anonymous, Alicia Britt Chole
One thing we must be confident in - is knowing the same battles we fight today need not be the same battles we have been set free from. [clickToTweet tweet="The Same Battles We Fight Today Need Not Be The Same Battles We Have Been Set Free From" quote="The Same Battles We Fight Today Need Not Be The Same Battles We Have Been Set Free From"]
It’s not rinse and repeat, it’s rinse and walk free.
Instead, what these words did...was chip away at my own imperfections.
Teaching me that there is no one perfect, but only Loved.
