In her book The Battlefield of the Mind for Teens, Joyce Meyer tells the story of Peter walking on water pointing out that when Peter and Jesus step into the boat, the sea calms. (ch 11 p 85).
This reminds me of a teaching from KCM where I learned of how sin is corrected when righteousness comes into the picture. The example was in the form of a classroom where the teacher walks out; the students misbehave. She walks in; they stop. Thus, when righteousness walks in the devil walks out . . . ha!
Well, you know the drill. Sin rebells against righteousness, so there’s the fight to overcome. Think of how Jesus stepped in and the calm was present in Him. Now think of Peter. Peter who had just faced fear and received Jesus’ hand of deliverance, stepped in with Him and there was still a calming. Does this make you think of your role in Christ? Your presence in His? Your authority? Your ability to calm a situation? Your ability to reach out your hand? Does it make you think further into the power of His Words: “Peace Be Still”?
Think of of that in terms of your reality. Your are righteous in Him. That same calming is present within you. That same Word is spoken through you.
Bring that thought further into your reality with Joyce Meyer’s list of counter weapons against worry. Here she tells us something so powerful. She says to “hurl our cares like fastballs” instead of just casting them at His feet. (ch 12 p 90-91)
She cautions us to respond immediately, rather than waiting until we get before God. Just as Peter needed His immediate help. We, too, must respond in the same.
She later outlines a section entitled, “Unheavenly Head-Space”. In # 4: “Life is too hard for me—can’t God make it easier?”, she states: “We tend to make things harder than they need to be by whining our way through them. Negativity saps us of the energy and positive attitude we need to follow through on our goals.” (p 116-117)
Boy is she describing me with that statement! Case-in-point: I’m washing the dishes and loading the dishwasher, all the while fussing and griping about what needs to be done . . . I am whining. I am caught up in energy wasting emotion. By the time I’m done—I’m beat.
To paint a more vivid picture, let’s look at another example she gives in #7 “I have a right to feel sorry for myself—my life stinks!” This is where she tells a detailed story of her early marriage and describes her husband watching tv, her walking in to tell him something; he responds not paying attention to a word she says . . . she spends the afternoon angry in self-pity.
She would get angry and rush through the house cleaning and trying to get him to notice her by slamming doors and storming through the room. She would give up and go in the back and cry, then go back through the room only for him to ask for a glass of tea—until she finally realized she was only exhausting herself. (p 129-130)
That, ladies, is female 101. That is me getting a lesson in righteous behavior. That is me learning to put my emotions in check and “hurl” self-pity out the door with my emotions toward the only one who can hold them.
I wish I could tell you I am learning to overcome this rebellion of mine by adhering her words, but you know what? I still have a lot to learn, washing those dishes and all. . . Hopefully, exercising the right Power Thoughts will help me live a better example.
This is me letting righteousness step in.
Tune in when that book hits the shelf soon . . .
