Phil 2:3
"Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves"

Okay, so it's pretty obvious that Christianity is not simply exchanging a list of what things we used to do for a list of things we now ought to do.............it's so much more....we must have our heart behind it. Pastor Piper had a wonderful point this weekend in the sermon about how the gap between what we ''ought to do'' and what we '''want to do'' becomes smaller as we mature in the Lord. We should find more and more that we delight to do what is right and good and commanded.
IT GETS EASIER ??!! Whew...what a relief. I'll keep looking forward to that.

I'm learning so much lately about what it means to fight my flesh in order to do what is right......man, the flesh is sneaky......and any relief from the Lord that would cause my heart to delight in this battle would be very sweet.

Relationships, especially the closest ones, really tend to show you yourself in truth. I had no idea that I could be so self seeking......and "looking out for number 1."
The disgusting question that the flesh continues to bolster up throughout my days is "what about me?" Aggghhh!!!
So, wrestling to obey Phil 2:3 not only in my actions, but in the depths of my heart, regardless of how I'm treated, is what I am aiming at. Cleaning the inside of the cup, repenting while doing the "ought to's" because my heart is not in it the way that I want it to be.
I understand quite a bit better why Pastor Piper calls this a WAR, and tells us to quit murmuring. "Murmur Murmur Murmur......MAKE WAR!!"
Talking about our struggles and failures doesn't make us win the battle against the flesh.....but the way that we will win, is by taking up the sword (the scriptures) against the enemy of "self" and thereby putting to death the deeds of the body.

It's sort of odd to be a girl saying "make war" but if we're not killing our own sin, sin will kill us. One of us is going to die.

Pressing on in the strength that God supplies ~
Jen2