The Battle In My Heart

 "The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." ~ Matthew 26:41

Hello friends,

Do you ever feel like there's a battle going on inside of you?

I'll be honest - I certainly do. Every single day my spirit wars against my flesh.

When I wake up in the morning tired and a mile-long list of to-dos staring me in the face,  my flesh tells me that I don't have time for Bible study and prayer. But my spirit tells me that I need that time with the Lord, or I won't be able to get through the day in a way that pleases Him. (Colossians 3:16, 1 Thessalonians 5:17)

When my children bicker, my flesh wants to rant and rave at them. But my spirit wants me to use a gentle tone of voice (1 Peter 3:4), just like my Heavenly Father speaks to me.

When I'm exhausted and in pain from my autoimmune disease, my flesh wants me to get angry at the Lord for allowing it in the first place. But my spirit wants me to endure it with patience. (Galatians 5:22)

When one of my children doesn't "get" a new math concept, my flesh wants to lash out at them. But my spirit wants me to calmly teach the concept again, taking the time to help them comprehend it. (Proverbs 31:26)

When I look around and see the condition of the world today, my flesh wants me to despair, and give up hope. But my spirit reminds me that my God is Sovereign. He is still on the Throne. He is still in absolute control. His purpose will be accomplished. (Isaiah 46:10)

These are just a few examples. I could go on and on. But I won't hang out anymore dirt laundry for now. ;)

So which one wins...my flesh or my spirit? Well, that depends. If I am walking closely with the Lord, my spirit gets the victory. But the opposite is also true - if I'm not in close fellowship with Him, I have very little "ammunition" to win the battle. So my flesh will be the victor. 

You know what I'm talking about. It's a daily struggle, isn't it? As believers, this war won't end until we get to Glory and have our glorified bodies. And what a day that will be!

But until then, keep on keeping on, friends. Keep your eyes in Him. Keep on walking closely with Him. Keep on loving our husbands. Keep on raising our children.  Keep on reading the Word. Keep on praying. And keep looking up. (Titus 2:13)

Remember - we can all things through Christ! (Philippians 4:13)

Have blessed day!

Sharing this week with Caroline and  JES.