Day 2061 of the 7 day Bible verse challenge.


James 4:1 NIV

All the madness we see going on in the world around us starts with the madness inside each person. Each of us is fighting this constant battle between good and evil, right and wrong. Every single day we're given countless opportunities to make that choice. And the side we pick determines whether light or darkness wins that day in our life. That struggle will always be there, but that doesn't mean that it always needs be hard.

In fact, the more we choose to do what is right, the easier that choice becomes. It reminds me of this Native American story. I'm sure you've heard it, but if not, I got you! There is a battle of two wolves inside each of us. One wolf is evil–it represents anger, jealousy, greed, resentment, lies, inferiority and ego. The other wolf is good–it represents joy, peace, love, hope, humility, kindness, empathy and truth. The wolf that wins is the one you feed.

The more we feed into the good inside of us, the bigger and stronger it becomes. The more we commit ourselves to doing what is just and right, the less power that dark side has over of us. Eventually choosing what is right, healthy, and beneficial becomes second nature. And that's when the pull of sin on us finally starts losing. We will never be sinless, because we all make mistakes every single day. Our goal should be to sin less, because that's the best we can aim for.

If we really want to make this world a better place, or at least do our part to keep it from getting worse, then we need to start with ourselves. We have to first find peace within us so that we can start radiating that outward. If we're still struggling with bad choices, fighting with ourselves all the time, then that kind of pain and misery will be evident to everyone else. We have to get ourselves under control and fight for the inner peace that we all need.

Christ. It all always comes back to Christ. We have to set our sights on following Him and do whatever it takes to make it happen. Only when we're completely submitted to Him and His ways will we ever find anything good. So if you're still feeling that inner struggle, look to Jesus. Pray about it. Ask for the help that you need to turn the tides of that battle inside. As I said yesterday, He did a lot to give us a chance at something so much better than we can imagine. It will always be worth fighting for it!

Comments

  1. marcieOctober 14, 2020 at 10:08 PM

    Amen. As you say the mouth speaks what the heart feels.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. KyleOctober 15, 2020 at 9:00 AM

      It really does! What we have in us will come out, and when it does, it will tell the world everything it needs to know about who we really are.

      Delete

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