Do It for ME

God, I am really not liking this situation in which I find myself. Talk about thorns in my side! I am trying to do what you have been calling me to do, focusing on those tasks. Then wham! out of the blue ~ sideswiped! My fleshly emotions rage up like a tempest, a powerful summer thunderstorm. I know that I have to rearrange my life and no matter what the cost, take care of this situation, but I find myself saying to You, "Lord, they won't even realize the cost of what they are asking!" Then I hear your quiet even tones, "I know, I know. Just do it for Me and forget about them." Suddenly I am convicted by the childishness of my own words: they don't realize the cost of what they are asking. The chills literally run through my entire body. Jesus could have said the same thing to Abba Father when they discussed in heaven what faced Him once he took residence in Mary's womb. But He didn't; He chose obedience to the Father over selfishness. And now He is saying to me, Do it for Me.

How do we translate that into our daily lives? What was He really saying to me as my emotions raged and I struggled with my anger and my lack of control over the events of my life? Several important points were made by the Lord which enabled me to transition away from the storm that was raging around me and seek the peace and comfort that is found in the eye of that same storm. Many of you are confronted by the same issues that I am. So my prayer for you at this very moment is that what was revealed to me will bring you comfort and guidance.

First, the Lord of Heaven's armies is battling for the heart of the very individual who is causing you such torment. Seriously. He loves that person as much as He loves you ~ no more and no less. He desires for them to be as close to Him as you are, or perhaps for both of you to be closer than you currently are. When we realize that these battles we are fighting are against principalities and not people, we can begin to shift our own focus and stop targeting a person as the "cactus" we landed on. They are simply being used as a catalyst and we have to get our eyes off of them onto the Lord where they belong.

Second we have a choice. We can choose to "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." James 1:2-4 Or we can choose to fret and stew, complaining all the way as we go down the road that is in front of us. Now that is really Christ-like behavior isn't it? In all sincerity, we really do have a choice. Many of us will plod through the situation and just grumble under our breath, smiling on the outside but wrestling on the inside. We will act like everything is cool with us, but in reality we are miserable. That is not what James is advising. Pure joy means exactly what it says: learn to release those anxious emotions about the situation and look at what God is going to do with you as a result.

Third and for me what was the final breakthrough, I realized when He says, "Do it for ME" He is also saying I will be the One who will be watching you and marveling in you. It dawned on me, one more time, the truth in "But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal." Matthew 6:20 The Lord assured me that even though the people for whom I was making the sacrifices were not concerned about it, He knew what was involved and was paying attention. He said to me, "You are not doing this for thank you's from them. You are doing this for Me. My thanks is all you need." He was so right. My heart became lighter and I immediately began to praise and worship Him with gladness in my heart and dance in my spirit. There was a reversal in my mood and my countenance. How can I reflect His light if I am letting clouds of gloom and doom darken my reflecting glass?

Now when a difficult person or situation comes my way, I am going to try very hard to remember the lesson that He has so lovingly taught me. ( We have such a patient and loving Lord.) It is not about the person that is in front of me which seems to be causing me difficulty in this moment in time. This is about learning to love my Lord in a new way. To be obedient at a different level and to show Him that no matter what comes my way, I can handle it with pure joy. I know that I am still learning how to do this, but walking in pure joy through difficulties sure beats swimming upstream!!