God loves us more than we love ourselves and He proves it by continuing to help us grow to be like Him in all our ways so we can be strong and free in His love. All we need to do is let Him work in our lives.
When things don’t go my way, I can let old strongholds (old, wrong thought patterns) make me react in defeated and upsetting ways. I can become angry, bitter, proud, etc. I dig in and don’t want to give any ground. I want my way, right? Not good.
There are times when it seems like you’re under spiritual attack from Satan. And then there are times when God says, “No, you’re not under a spiritual attack from the enemy. I’m trying to point out an area in your life where I want you to grow in so you can be more free indeed.”
Hallelujah. God wants us free from our tendency to live in the flesh. He wants us to live free by becoming more and more like Jesus. What a blessing God doesn’t leave us alone to have to cater to our weak, whiny, complaining, “wanting its way” flesh.
“I (Jesus) am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. 3 You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. 4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.
5 “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. 6 Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. 7 But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! 8 When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.
John 15:1-8
Thanking and praising God in all things (Ephesians 5:20),
Mark
Note: While we may not agree with everything a particular church or Christian group teaches or believes, there are times when we can be blessed by something outside the realm of our current understanding of God.