“Those who think they can do it on their own end up obsessed with measuring their own moral muscle but never get around to exercising it in real life. Those who trust God's action in them find that God's Spirit is in them - living and breathing God!” (Romans 8:5 MSG)
I can be a kind, considerate, loyal, friendly, helpful person...until someone messes with me. Then I turn defensive. I gather up my loved ones, retreat to my fortress, close the gates, pull up the drawbridge, and release crocodiles into the moat.
I want to change. I want to be a better person. I want to be patient, compassionate, forgiving, and loving--even to those who hurt me or my loved ones. However, no matter how much I try, I go back to my instinctual habits. I cannot be Christ-like on my own. No matter how much I develop my moral muscles, I am unable to get very far from my default settings. I must trust God's action in me. I must recognize that God's Spirit, living and breathing within me, will achieve what I cannot accomplish on my own.
Holy Spirit, take over.
Perhaps if you look at it from a different point of view it would help you.
ReplyDeleteWe all have the right to release the people who are not in sync with our beliefs and belittle who we are. Energy Vampires is what I call them. They are out to live for themselves and no one else and want to draw you into their world of anger and hate. You on the other hand do have the right to surround yourself with those who live in the accordance of friendship, loyalty and love. These are the people you want to be in your life. They are feeling blessed to wake up each morning. They say thank you to God for what they do have in life.
Remember God is there for you. Jesus taught us to forgive all, not because he was a pushover, but because he knew that forgiveness was for his heart. He knew carrying around resentment only would hurt him and the people around him whom he was trying to teach the lessons of life.
Those who harm you are often living with blinders on and never even knew they hurt you because this is how they live their life. They are not happy unless they reel in the anger they have inside of them.
Go ahead and draw up the bridge because that is your God given right, but be aware that releasing the crocodiles will only seal in the feeling of revenge for the long term. You deserve better. Live life on your terms of peace, love and dignity.
I love this term 'Energy Vampires.' Yes. I agree...the crocodiles are probably not a good idea ;-)
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