I was reading this passage in 1 Corinthians 3:3, and it struck me how often I end up in the flesh, acting out of my old beliefs about myself and then using those old familiar coping mechanisms to handle it. The passage reads “for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way?” Paul was talking to the Corinthians about how he had to stay on the basics of the Christian faith with them which he calls milk, not going into the deeper meatier topics.
He lists jealousy and strife, two visibly evident traits with relationships. When we are reacting to a situation with jealousy and strife, we are often so overcome and clogged up with these emotions that it is hard to hear what the Lord is speaking into that situation. We get to choose, in those moments, to take those emotional thoughts captive as 2 Corinthians 10:5 suggests, or get captured by them. When we are captured by them, we give them “voice space” in our heads, that sends us down the road toward unforgiveness and bitterness. And when we are full of those feelings, the enemy prevails, rendering us useless for the Kingdom for that time.
How often I think I have conquered these feelings – jealousy and strife – that they don’t plague me anymore only to find that even that thought is dangerous ground served up by the enemy to disarm me, keep my off my guard and lure me into a “spiritual malaise”. Then suddenly I am once again vulnerable. I continue to pray and ask the Lord to humble me to understand that there is nothing in ME that can live the Abundant Life where these emotions aren’t over-active; only Christ in me can do this. Thank goodness for God’s ever abundant, overflowing grace which fills and empowers me, reminding me that I AM a child of God, that there is sufficient grace for every fall. He picks me up, dusts off those negative feelings, and sets me back on my feet with a long, sweet embrace. Then I’m ready to get back out, doing the Kingdom work to which He has called me.
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