TargetPoint Volume 6 of 32
Todays Verse/Thought: Ostriches and Alligators
Galations 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Life Implication:
As we saw a couple of days ago, Adam coped with his fear by covering he and Eve with fig leaves. A friend of mine often jokes (about his negative work situation) that he keeps his head in the sand; now and then he pulls his head out, looks around, doesn't like what he sees, and pops his head back in the sand. This is a form of coping, like the ostrich, rather a dumb bird. It's a case of what you don't know won't hurt you. You might call it DENIAL.
Then there's my own tendency, to become a bit CYNICAL AND SARCASTIC when I don't like the way things are going. Fear sets in, and I can find myself developing a hard exterior to cope with what's going on around me.
Interestingly enough, the word cope means to contend with difficulties and act to overcome them. Contending is actually a form of battle. This takes a lot of work, my friend. Fear is always a problem to be dealt with. The important thing is how we respond. We can't change things that come upon us. But we do have a choice in how we respond. The more we understand God's way, the more we can be free.
Our own ways of coping, perhaps denial or developing a hard exterior, may work to protect us to a degree, kind of a form of defense, but what do those defenses do to our relationships? I know when I get cynical or sarcastic, it pushes my wife and friends away; when my friend buries his head in the sand, what good is he to his co-workers?
Life Application:
Instead of coping with your situation, let's see if we can begin to understand God's way of handling things. HIS WAY IS TO DO BATTLE ON OUR BEHALF. As our verse for today says, GOD'S WORD IS THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT. Wouldn't you prefer His sword to trying to create your own defense mechanisms?
If you are not already a reader of the Word, get yourself to your nearest bookstore where Bibles are sold or download a version to your smart phone or tablet. Find a Bible that helps you read through the Bible in a year. Begin to READ THE BIBLE ON A DAILY BASIS. You will begin to understand the power of His Word. Read a Psalm and a Proverb each day. Read the gospels, and endeavor to look for the ways that Jesus Himself, spoke the word in what could have been fearful situations for Himself.
Tomorrow In TargetPoint:
Do You Minister or Manipulate?