I was having a discussion with someone who told me that he has a hot temper, and when he gets angry, nothing and nobody can calm him down. He said he has done many unthoughtful things in moments of anger. He went further to say that everybody in his family knows him for that.
And he is a Christian, Spirit-filled.
I have also known him to show signs of this anger here and there. Even in situations that are not necessary or worth the anger, he still pours out rage. And this keeps affecting his relationship with people.
What struck me most was not even the anger itself, but how comfortable he had become with it. It had become part of his identity. He spoke about it as though it was something that could not be changed, something everyone had simply accepted about him.
This story shows how many people or believers out there think that anger, lack of joy in the form of mood swings, bitterness, unforgiveness, and lust are just their weaknesses and part of who they are. They have become so familiar with these things that they no longer see them as enemies. They have made peace with them and fail to see the danger and what those things are costing them.
Some have accepted anger as their personality. Some have accepted sadness and hopelessness as normal. Some have accepted lust as a battle they can never overcome. Others have accepted fear, insecurity, jealousy, or pride as permanent companions.
Meanwhile, these things keep limiting them. They damage relationships, hinder growth, rob them of peace, and keep them from fully expressing the life that God has called them to live.
Then you wonder why you keep finding yourself stagnant or struggling to leave certain seasons of life, yet you remain stuck in them year after year.
Forgetting that in fulfilling purpose, the thing the devil attacks is usually the thing that gets the job done. If it is your love, he attacks your heart. If it is your joy, he attacks your mind. If it is your purity, he attacks your desires. If it is your confidence, he attacks your identity.
His goal is simple: stop the work before it begins.
The devil understands that a believer walking in freedom is dangerous. A believer who has conquered anger can help others overcome anger. A believer who has found freedom from lust can help others find freedom too. A believer full of joy can bring hope to discouraged people.
So he will first try to make you a victim of the very thing you are supposed to conquer.
He will try to make you a servant to what should have been your slave. He will keep you bound by the very thing God intends for you to overcome and help others overcome.
Maybe you keep battling unnecessary anger. Maybe you struggle with a lack of joy. Maybe you constantly fight thoughts of impurity. Maybe fear has become your daily companion.
What you tolerate today may become the chain that limits your effectiveness tomorrow.
This is why it is a battle of faith to insist on the truth of God's Word until it is formed in you. Not until you merely hear it. Not until you merely quote it. But until it becomes your reality.
The fact that something has been with you for years does not mean it belongs to you.
The fact that your family is known for it does not mean it is your inheritance.
The fact that people have accepted it about you does not mean God has accepted it for you.
There is a difference between acknowledging a weakness and agreeing with it. The moment you begin to agree with what God wants to change, you stop pursuing transformation.
So, say no to being at peace with threats that will eventually kill the work of God in your life.
Refuse to be at peace with excesses that should be cut off.
This is also a call not to allow the devil to keep you stranded on one path. Discover the areas where you need help and allow the Word of God and the Holy Spirit to breathe upon them.
Bring those areas before God honestly. Stop defending them. Stop hiding them. Stop giving them new names to make them look acceptable.
Do not hold on to them as though they are a lottery you won. This is the devil using them to keep you stagnant.
And remember, peace is not always enough reason to know that you are on the right path of destiny. Sometimes growth requires confrontation. Sometimes freedom requires warfare. Sometimes purpose requires you to fight against habits, mindsets, and strongholds that have become comfortable.
My dear, Do not allow the devil to shut you down.
Refuse to be discouraged.
Refuse to be distracted.
Refuse to be engaged with the devil's lies.
Do not stop trying.
Do not stop believing.
Do not stop growing.
Strength is administered to conquer them.
Grace is available.
The Holy Spirit is willing to help.
So, tell us there something you are willing to change and allow Holyspirt to help you let go?
Please comment and share to help someone.
