There are times in life, that I find myself needing a good swift kick in the pants. Or, a slap in the face. Funny, how God uses the actions of others, or events in ones life to achieve this "tough love" task. Today it just happened to be the message and scripture of my Pastors sermon at church. It has been one of those weeks. Murphy's Law of "...what can go wrong, will go wrong..." was in full gear the whole time. My wife's Grandfather had a stroke, so she left for Georgia with her Mother to be with him. So that leaves me and our son home to get stuff done around the house. Chores, work and the like. Money has been tight, so we have minimal food in the house. I had to count change just to get laundry detergent and gas in the car. Meanwhile, I have been struggling with my walk with God. More recently, than in previous weeks. For my day job I write a Political Blog for another company. Needless to say, I get to see the worst that all sides have to offer when it comes to current events and political issues. This proves to be challenging, as I have been trying to change my life and let go of hatred and bias. Kind of hard to do when it comes to daily headlines. As a Veteran, I find this to be especially challenging. We like to hold on to our hate. It gives us fire when we're in Combat. We use it to destroy our enemies. It's kind of what we do. Mostly. So when Pastor started talking about "reaping what you sow..." and the seeds that we plant in our heart lead to what we harvest later on... *** SMACK TO THE FACE, DEPLOYED!!!!! *** My hands begin to shake slightly as I sat in the pew. Not out of rage but out of humility. Every word he spoke felt like the sermon was written just for me. As he read Galatians 6:7 "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows." I took a long hard look inward. Like staring at the mirror and being completely disgusted with what you see. For so long, I have held this hate and anger deep inside. Like a warm security blanket, I would wrap myself up in it. Staying safe surrounded by an impenetrable wall of rage. The sermon hit especially hard, because in Sunday school we have been discussing Islam. As a Veteran, I have to be honest and say that I have no love for Radical Islam. Years spent combating, hating and loathing the zealots of Mohammed have left me tired and angry. I'm tired of hate. I am tired of all the anger. I have been planting seeds of these burdens in my soul for so long, that it feels like that is all I know. In writing this, I was trying to find a passage from the Bible about letting go of hate. When I found the verses, I started shaking again, and almost began crying. *** SECOND SLAP TO THE FACE, DEPLOYED!!! *** Ephesians 4:31-32 31 Get rid of bitterness, rage and anger, outcry and slander, along with every form of malice.. 32 Be kind and tender-hearted to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you. It is time for me to let go of the hate. I have been trying to tell God what he can and can't do in my life instead of letting him work IN my life. Sometimes it is easy for some of us to forget, that he is the "GREAT I AM." and that ALL things are possible through Christ who strengthens us. Even letting go of hate. Sometimes, you just need a slap in the face to wake up and realize it. God Bless, and C.Y.H.
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AuthorSpike Bowan is the Pittsburgh, PA born Writer and Fiction Author. He is a Veteran of the US Navy, retired Paramedic, Husband, Father and Christian. BECOME A PATRON. CLICK BELOW!
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