God seems to take us where He wills and leaves us questioning our very existence and life during the process. The things He uses, allows and permits, although unknown to us at the time, serve as His means to accomplishing this end. He desires our best and our souls, even while being conformed to His, still lack the substance needed to adapt to His method of transforming us. We are carnal, limited and finite; He is pure Spirit, unlimited and infinite. Hence, the struggle begins. We have looked at our own lives and recognized this unfamiliar process of death from within. We struggle and ask questions only to have the heavens seemingly shut to our cries for answers. But God is faithful and true. When He knows we're ready He will begin to show us what He's doing with us. We have no say in the matter except to trust Him in love. We are not our own. We have been bought with a price by the Redeemers Precious Blood and we need to be open to every possibility that may present itself as something coming from His hands. It is the will and not the circumstance where with we ought to remain focused. That is key and needs to constantly be in the forefront of our spiritual journey.
With this being said our Lord will, at times, allow the powers of darkness to revel over us with such violence and determination in order to prove us. The devil's know that when you kill love you kill the value of anything done. Even good works are put to naught when not done in light of our love of God and neighbor. The demons know what our weaknesses are and they use them against us in order to fulfill their call to kill the love within us. In many and various ways they cleverly turn the tables against us having us see things as they really aren't. That's right, as they really aren't! At face value the things we perceive as happening really seem to be real and in accordance with the truth. But in reality (in light of revealed Truth, Jesus Christ) they are merely deceptions or illusions reinforced by the devil's attempt to squeeze the love out from within us. Satan's goal is to put a wedge between ourselves and God.
Pure love brings vulnerability. As a result, this is how God tests our faith and trust in order to unite ourselves with Him. We know intellectually that God is all good and desires the best for us but at times when He's purifying us through fire we are, as it were, left as bate for Satan. We are left completely exposed and open to his schemes of division and foul play. He will feed on the very weaknesses which God the Father is trying to eliminate from within us. It is a battle of celestial titans waging war over our will and we're caught in the middle struggling to find out what is real and what is false. This is not a battle for the weak of faith but takes real fortitude and perseverance. It is a time when most Christians quit rather than fight and so lose the very hope they long for.
Using the methods of humiliation and self loathing, Satan attaches himself to a person's vulnerabilities and convinces them there is no satisfaction (or hope) other than what he subscribes. Usually in convincing the victim in covering up the exposed darkness left within the heart and soul. This darkness, however, while being brought into the light of Truth and Life can only be dealt with by the will of the person. That is where the outcome of this spiritual struggle is decided. Will they sink into self or cling to God?
In 1 Corinthians chapter 13 St. Paul shows us that love is the key in unlocking value in the advancement of the kingdom of God and in out own relationship with the Blessed Trinity. In anything we do the motivation needs to be rooted in love or else it is useless. Satan knows this and therefore he tries to take away our love by means of the above mentioned method and feeds us with hatred toward ourselves and eventually, if we allow it, God. This hatred is fueled by us defaming our very selves through being exposed in this spiritual growth process . It plays on the very dignity of the person involved to such an extent that borderlines insanity. God is the ultimate reality and so when He is taken out of the picture purpose and meaning fades away and we're left for dead by our own devises. Satan tries to convince us that God doesn't care and we are the only ones who can satisfy our deepest longings, which, oddly, is to love and be loved.
Both hatred and love are like fire. They are kindled and when fanned grow larger and larger. Hatred, to our destruction and love to our betterment if properly utilized and understood. When it comes to the eternal destination of everyone of our souls God and the devil do not play games. We will not feel the full weight of this reality until we pass from time into eternity but by then it will be too late.
Let us turn to the saints in this dark struggle. Reflect upon their lives and see how they overcame such inner adversity even to the point of giving their lives over to death for the sake of love of Christ! God calls us all to be saints and He will fully equip us with every spiritual gift and grace we need to shine His light in this blackened world we live in!
"For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that
overcomes the world, our faith."
(1 John 5:4)
Copyright 2011 New voice for Broken Souls
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