After over a year of rest and reset which opened my eyes to finding joy and value in taking things slow, I again recently found myself in a loop of pacing and racing and chasing after things I thought were an immediate need. I was on the verge of robbing myself of the chance to grow through what I have to go through if I were to take the long route. And I have to admit I can’t stick up my nose on anything because I get easily distracted when new opportunities are thrown my way.
The devil had his way of telling me I was going off track because he saw I was finally happy where I was, and he was terribly irked to see the grace of God working in me.
I hit the ground running without consulting the One who knows best. I nipped the bud on my own only to find out I had no eye for it if I were to do it alone. I was rash. I was reckless. I missed paying my bills on time. I lost track of my (so proud to claim I have a pretty organized life) personal spreadsheets. I compromised my bed time for longer working hours. I rarely saw my little brother at home because suddenly, family meal times were a thing of the past. I skipped Sunday service in exchange of sleep. I have forgotten about the more important things which I have recently learned of mattered most to me, and which I vowed, come hell or high water, I would prioritize on top of everything else.
I kept looking on the other side of the fence because I thought I deserved more, which I have recently learned ironically was a mindset that somehow limited me. What I think I deserve is nothing compared to what God has in store for me. Looking back, I am so grateful I didn’t get what I thought I deserved, because if I did, I would have had just enough. I would not have had the chance to enjoy the surplus of God’s grace.
My hindsight always tells me how minute my efforts were in getting to where I am now. All that I have is only 1% me and 99% heaven’s work. I saw miracles at my doorstep every time I needed one, and not once did I have to lift a finger for any of it — because grace is a show-off, that is how it delivers. If I ever fell short in seeing the immense grace of God in me, it is because I thought I was powerless against the devil’s attempt to swindle my joy. I was blinded from the blessings of the present when the devil told me I have the power to own more. And this is where I failed to recognize who is in charge. If there is anyone who could command me of what I am ever capable of doing and when it is worth powering through, that should be God. He alone should call the shots.
You see, the devil is a liar who likes to steal, a sore loser who finds wicked joy in denying defeat, in deceiving you into believing that you are not enough because you don’t have enough. Sorry to say, but the God whose grace has ransomed the world is the same God that has long ruled out that false mentality of shortage and lack.
Friends, walk in that God-given authority to rebuke evil today. Let that coward pay.
