It’s okay to be human

Earlier this week I spoke with a friend who after strict obedience and preparation still felt as if she ran into the glass window I talked about in last week’s blog Encourage Yourself. 

It sucks when we work hard, trust God, and move in him but things don't work out the way we planned. In these moments hearing sayings like: everything happens for a reason and find the purpose behind the pain don’t always make us feel better immediately. And that is ok! 

I think many people believe because we are Christian we are not allowed to have human emotions. Untrue! It is perfectly OK to have emotions other than joy. It is even ok to let your feelings out. How many times in Psalms do we hear David cry out and express his negative feelings about his situations to the Lord? Did Jesus not ask for God to “take this cup away from” him? I think it is awesome they were able to freely share their frustrations but I also admire their nevertheless not my will, but yours be done mentality that followed. Are you able to add the but God to your hurtful situations? Lord I hurt tremendously, but you are still able. Lord I feel defeated but your word says I am more than a conqueror. Lord I am angry with you right now but I know that your love flows beyond my current emotions and endures forever.

Have you ever had a back and forth conversation with yourself that goes around and around? It’s like spinning a bottle, a complaining moment (flesh) turns into an empowering moment (spirit) and it 

continues in a circular manner until it slowly lands on the one we will allow to rule the remainder of our day. I believe this is our spirit man in competition with our flesh. Our spirit knows what we need and attempts to pull us into a better place in God while our flesh causes us to want to sulk in our pain and ignore the spirit’s call. Don’t be so hard on yourself when you feel the emotional flesh overwhelming you. Give your emotions some time to catch up with your spiritual you. Our flesh is in remedial classes and requires more time to comprehend what's going on around and within us.

There is and always will be a fight between flesh and spirit as long as we are on this earth. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. (Galatians 5:17 NKJV)

As we fail at certain tasks we have the potential to automatically revert back to our previous behaviors or thought processes that go against what God has spoken over our lives. The struggle is real and can occur for a myriad of reasons: not getting a job, losing the relationship we believed was God ordained, not passing a test we studied hard for etc. These glass windows hurt when we smash against them potentially sending us into a state of shock. Again, it's how we respond to these situations that's important. 

Will you fight or will you cave in to the demands of the flesh and the devil? Are you able to continue in a diligent and steadfast relationship with God in the midst of struggle? Can you stay on track although it feels you have derailed? Can you still be confident in who God called you to be and the God within you even when others say you have failed? Can you continue to live for him even when others have asked where is your God while those same people appear to be doing better without even acknowledging him as their father and savior?

This war we fight is mental emotional physical and spiritual! In order to have an encouraged spirit man that reacts quicker to these glass window moments, we have to put ourselves in position to properly feed and exercise it. This includes prayer, reading and meditating in the word, and discussing what you have learned with others. We must also continue to put on the armor presented so clearly to us in Ephesians chapter 6. 

I encourage you to step into your next moment the victorious child of God that you are! It's ok that you had a moment of hurt. Now what are you going to do with it? 

Don’t forget to download the rant turned e-guide “Encourage Yourself” for free by clicking below! God bless and see you in the daily devotions section 4 the rest of the week!