Be whom God called You to be

Today, I may be exposed to great danger—Lord, let me have the serpent’s wisdom to keep out of it and avoid it. The wings of a dove may be more helpful to me today than the jaws of a lion. True, I may seem to lose out by rejecting evil company, but I would do better to leave my cloak than lose my character. It is not necessary for me to be rich, but it is essential for me to be pure. No ties of friendship, no attraction of beauty, no barbs of ridicule must turn me from the wise resolve to flee sin. I am to resist the devil so he will flee from me, but I must run from the lusts of the flesh, or they will surely overcome me. Oh, God of holiness, preserve your Josephs from the vile, bewitching suggestions of this world. May the horrible trinity of the world, the flesh, and the devil never overcome us!

- C.H. Spurgeon Morning and Evening 

I awoke today hit hard by bad dreams and read things that were really disappointing and discouraging.  It wasn't a pleasant experience.  People in this world will indeed take words and form double edged swords with them.  Their intent may be one thing but their results say they did more. 

One such reading this morning saddened me greatly.  I mentioned being blessed, and the only one who bestows blessings is God, yet an opportunity was taken to take the wind out of that sail by someone who wasn't looking at life from a Godly perspective. 

We are exposed to a great deal of things that have but one sinister reason.  To desensitize us towards sin and to twist our thoughts towards accepting it.  Satan has been trying since the founding of the Church to infiltrate and corrupt the Church. He has been trying since Adam and Eve to corrupt mankind to worship him and not God.  He twists our thoughts and emotions towards an end that leaves us either disillusioned or shut down if we are believers. He gets a bonus if he manages to convince us to follow his ways and accept sinful thoughts and behaviors as acceptable.  He rewards demons who succeed in such things for their cunning and vile behavior. 

If you have been around the English language at all in the last oh 100 years you know what the phrase "being played" means.  

The most embarrassed of people are those who find out too little too late that they were played. Billions will find this out at the Judgement Seat after the Tribulation.  Billions have been finding it out when they die apart from Christ.  

It's only in literature where people believe that Satan has a throne in Hell, or has horns an is all red with a tail.  

The Bible says he roams the Earth like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. 

The truth is closer than you think.  People are swayed by very little when stress is high.  Satan knows the truth of Hell and would never set one foot there. Satan goes back and forth from Earth to Heaven until the day the Father shuts him out. 

You my friend are being played if your thoughts and desires conflict with Scripture and they are more important to you than obeying Christ.  If you're going to sulk at being left out, why?  Why would you have such thoughts when Christ tells us what is right, pure and true.  

It was pointed out to me that I was being sort of hypocritical about taking my job so personally.  No, I don't take it personally, I am there to do my best, regardless of my personal thoughts on it. Colossians 3:23-25.  When I am convinced circumstances look like I am not being allowed to do my best, as unto the Lord, I take it to my Lord to deal with it. My emotions and all.  I could be charged with mopping floors.  You had better believe that I would expect no less out of me in doing that as in doing my regular job.  As I told my Site Leader, I am incapable of doing anything less than my best.  My best efforts are all that I was raised to give. 

You are, if you are a believer, expected to do and live a certain way in Christ.  We are His workmanship. Meaning that we will be equipped to do specific tasks.  We will be not doing other things that were part of the old nature. 

Consider today your whys.  Why are you in a constant disgruntled state? Why are you behaving as you are? Why are you not happy with what God has blessed you with or what He has brought you through?   Have you accepted sinful behaviors as acceptable? Have you?  Have you been flirting with sin rather than avoiding it?

Look at your life now.  It's going to be much easier on you to start living your life as Christ has been shaping it to be lived than to explain why you didn't.