The truth about our struggle

One of the things I love most about God is the fact that he gets us. He knew thousands of years ago that we would struggle, and he knew we would need a guide: The Bible. God's Word is living and active. It applies to every part of our lives,then and now. I love that about God, that he thought of everything and cares so much that he wants to give us every tool to be successful.

Recently in my studies, I have revisited a verse that I memorized years and years ago and it has spoken to me anew.

It's no secret that we as humans struggle. All of us. We all struggle. God's Word reminded me recently the truth about my struggle.

Ephesians 6:12 - "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood..."

This is certainly not the first time I have read this, but recently when I read it, it was as though a light bulb went on inside me. My struggle is not against flesh and blood. This applies in a few ways but the way it applied to me in this season of my life was new.

My struggle. Oh how I struggle. I have been struggling for a year in a specific area. Parenting. I have struggled with frustration and anger. I have struggled with how to teach and discipline my little guys. I have struggled with finding balance. I have struggled with being overwhelmed. I have struggled.

And all the while, I have been wrong about the source of my struggle. I have been struggling with myself. I have been blaming myself. I have been trying to do it all myself. Now, I have cried out to God for help many many times. But even then, I was expecting me to be able to overcome this struggle.

When I read this verse last week, I suddenly realized I have been trying to do it all myself. I have been struggling against flesh and blood. Reading this verse opened my eyes to the trap I had allowed myself to fall into.

I was blaming myself for struggling. Let's read the rest of the verse.

Ephesians 6:12 - "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."

I misplaced the blame. The enemy had me so distracted in the blame game and had me fighting against myself instead of him.

Sound familiar. Another way this can happen is when we get so distracted blaming others, and being mad at others, that we get caught in a cycle and take our eyes off the real battle.

Bottom line is we are all going to mess up and make mistakes. But if we get so caught up in blame and anger, we forget where the real struggle is. The real struggle is with our enemy who is just trying to distract us. When we get caught in this trap either with ourselves or with others, then we forget that we are supposed to forgive and love our enemies and do everything we can to live at peace with others. This is exactly the enemy's game and he is very good at it.

Yes I make mistakes. Yes I make poor decisions that hurt myself and others. People are always going to be imperfect.

I learned long ago that people will hurt me and I will have to choose to continue to love them and others when (not if) that happens. I also have to apply that to myself. I have to forgive others and continue to keep my heart open to love so that I can walk in the ways of the Lord. I also have to forgive myself, and learn to love myself, so that I can walk in the ways of the Lord.

I am not a perfect person (as much as I want to be). I am not a perfect mother (as much as I want to be) but I am worthy of love and forgiveness. I am still a person and I am still a mother.

The enemy was able to get me off track a bit by making me feel like my struggle was with my own flesh and blood. But my struggle was never with myself. It was always with the enemy who wanted to make me feel like a failure. I'll be honest. He succeeded for a minute.

It makes me so sad to realize that so much of my struggling over this past year has just been an energy waster. But I cannot get stuck there. I have to pick myself up, forgive myself, and begin the battle where it should be.

Friends, I desperately want you to learn from my mistake. Let's not waste energy being mad at our selves or others for the hurt. Let's understand that this is the enemy's plan and let's not allow him to win.

People are going to make mistakes. We should be ready with forgiveness and love when this happens. Yes it hurts and we should take time to deal with the hurt, but if we are already armed with forgiveness and love, then I believe with all my heart that the hurt will be less.

Father,
Thank you for Your Word and for speaking to my heart. Thank you for fresh understanding. I pray that we would all be armed with forgiveness and love. I pray that we would be able to identify the traps of the enemy quickly through your Word and that we would not waste time struggling against the wrong things. Lord help us to see clearly and help us to be brave enough to love wide open and forgive endlessly. I pray these things in Jesus name. Amen.