Have you ever had a day burdened with negativity? That was me today. I love the weekends, but today I just couldn't be a happy camper inside. Every small annoyance seemed magnified. Everything my kids did seem frustrating, everything my husband said seemed to rub me the wrong way....until by the afternoon I had a raging head ache and I went to lie down.
God sent me Elisabeth Elliot(as he often does) to hold a mirror up and show me what was happening...spiritual opposition.
"The devil is evidently attacking you in your innermost heart, not causing you to doubt so much as causing a spirit of discontent. Fortunately, we both know that temptation is not a sin, it is yielding to temptation that causes us to sin and I feel that you must count it joy that you are passing through these times of difficulty, for they are sure signs that the Lord is blessing you..."
YES! that is it! the spirit of discontent! I need to FIGHT that. Do you?
"...It comes from the flesh and self-introspection. It is good for us to look at self and know how loathsome it is, but with one look at self we must take 10 looks at Christ....No one goes to church more than the devil does, and no one appears as an angel of light as he does. We are in the thick of facing powers of darkness who are determined to rob us of Him and rob God of us, and you and I have just got to hope in Christ and rely on Him for His spirit to direct our thoughts, our ways, and our works so that it is not us but Christ in us."
Isn't it amazing that God just provided those words for me? I could feel all this attack as it was happening, and was trying to have self control and focus on contentment and I asked for help and he gave it. Why am I surprised?
"In every event He seeks an entrance to my heart...The very cracks and empty crannies of my life, my perplexities and hurts and botched-up jobs, He wants to fill with Himself, His joy, His life."
Ok, so now it is 9:30 and my circumstances haven't changed. BUUUUT, I WILL FIGHT! and as Scarlett O' Hara says "after all, tomorrow is another day".... so I'll get another chance tomorrow right? I'll try to be more grateful, no more spirit of discontent...I promise.
Lord Help me!
Thank you for beautiful words this Sunday morning, as I sit in a uiet home before the kidlets are up.
ReplyDeleteI truly believe that one of the most wonderful and powerful blessings is the family. Satan knows this, and does his best to create a spirit of contention, so that we cannot enjoy our most cherished blessings, the ones we love.
love you. love your thoughts. love bein part of your life. love you bein part of mine.
ReplyDeleteToday was a day full of frustration and annoyance same as you described at the beginning of your post. After days of joy and gladness of heart I'm wondering Lord what is this all of a sudden today it feels like things are going badly for no reason...then I'm in the kitchen; it's 5:48pm and Im baking cakes then the Lord speaks and says, A Spirit of Discontentment...I thought to myself what is discontment so I got the dictionary...feeling of unhappiness; to make sad...typed in the spirit of discontment in google search and found this post...God is good; funny he always leads me to Elisabeth Elliot as well; found her about a year and a half ago on Blue letter bible with her recordings...one of my favorits..."Keeping a quiet Heart" God bless
ReplyDeletemy wife has been attacked liked crazy lately and today it popped in my head about the spirit of discontent. She got mad when i said it but I told her you shouldn't. It seems as if some spirits leave with a simple get out in the name of Jesus. But to cast out this stubborn spirit of discontent I may need fasting and prayer. This battle is a toughie and we must rely on Jesus. As a matter of fact the only reason I can think of why God would allow this is to strengthen us. Stay encouraged brothers and sisters.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this! It seems the more God blesses us as we get ready for the field, the more I am fighting this spirit of discontent in the most ridiculous, petty of things. And, the more I need to call it what it is...an attack, a distraction, a ploy, an attempt to keep my eyes off our focus of full-time ministry. Could feel the Holy Spirit calling me on it this afternoon, and now, here I am reading this post saying Yes!!! Lord, draw my eyes to YOU!
ReplyDeleteThank you ! This was me today! your article described it and was very encouranging
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