Your Spiritual Workout
We've all reached this moment at least once before we reached adulthood. The world just seemed to be folding in on itself and it seems there's no alternative but to cash in whatever chips we have left and call it a night- "I'm done!" We wouldn't be the first to feel this way. In fact, our most esteemed Himself had one such moment in the garden saying, "Father...take away this cup from Me." Mark 14:36 That wasn't the only time He had that feeling, either. On another occasion Jesus openly acknowledged His internal struggle saying, "Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour." John 12:27 We have very real struggles but it is very helpful to know that there is no event in our lives that reaches this climax; where we are actually striving against sin; the sin of the whole world. We face all sorts of tribulation; sometimes maybe a multitude will come against us, but our struggle is usually to keep from sinning; not against sin. There is a difference. Jesus' fight was to defeat sin by taking it; our fight is to maintain our righteousness in Him by resisting it. (2 Cor. 5:21) Too often we compare ourselves to Jesus with respect to our sufferings as if they are adding up to His. They're not. "Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin." (Heb. 12:4) The fight has not brought you to blood coming out of your pores. It is a light affliction when you weigh it against the sufferings of Christ. Do you know the feeling of being God and not being thanked by the people you feed everyday? Do you know the rejection of leaving your nice, comfortable setting to go into a land full of waste to help people who could care less whether you lived or died? Do you know the indignation of giving your life for someone who said they wanted to live and then they choose to die? We all know some of these feelings but only in part. Jesus knew them all to their greatest degree and that without sin! Running with patience, keeping my eyes on Jesus is the only way to keep to the battle. The minute I look away, I fall into self pity and start longing for someone to pat me on the back. It's dangerous in that, when you look away from Jesus, you become magnified. Shall the saw magnify itself against him that is cutting with it? Looking away is the perfect opportunity for satan to tempt us; and he will.
When you feel like quitting or like it's just been too much for you, start with being God in the flesh, being unrecognized. Now, imagine being rejected by your whole family all your life, waiting on the time for them to see that you are from God. Progress to performing all kinds of miracles and blessing for your people only to be called a liar, lunatic, deceiver, and devil. Visualize a few people finally seeing that you are special and befriending you claiming to be "down with the cause", but stopping short and leaving you all alone. Finally, embrace getting beat all night long, and for the fulfillment of prophecy, you can't say a word, but you take the beating, carry your own cross, and then die for every soul involved. Do you still want to quit?
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Aaron ClarkLoving God and teaching others to do the same is my life's work. Archives
October 2018
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