The Devil's Chokehold

Realism.

Its something I've grown to hate. I hate the phrase "Be realistic." because it has such a negative connotation. To be realistic in this world means that you must realize and expect the worst to come. And even I have been a preacher of this and it shames me.

 

Sometimes our circumstances have shaped our thought processes. We've been disappointed time and time again and we can only wait on disappointment to come once more. And I believe this is where the Devil's chokehold is. Every time that I expect the worst to happen, I am telling God how little faith I have in Him. I'm essentially putting Him in a box because I cannot trust Him enough to run rampant through my circumstances and make everything beautiful in its time. No, by holding onto my 'realism', I am discrediting the power of His existence.

 

I have all of the resources and experiences to know that this reality that I so often believe in is not the reality of God. He has brought me through the tough times and has made my life beautiful through the disappointments and trials. To expect the worst when He has brought me through my worst is blatantly ignoring His awesome power. We can only fit so much into our tiny little brains and so often we choose to fill it with the negativity of this world. But there is joy in Christ and in all circumstances, we should look for that joy.

 

Colossians 3:1 says, Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God's right hand. 

 

The love of Christ is not too good to be true, therefore His blessings are not too good to be true. Christ's love is the ultimate truth, the ultimate reality. Sometimes I have to remind myself to let a good thing be a good thing, don't wait on catastrophe, don't wait on something negative to take its place.

Wait on the Lord. Because if He puts something good into your life, He meant it to be there.

Continue to wait on the Lord when there is something negative in your life. Those are the times when you need to seek His face the most and those are the times that you desperately desire to understand His character. In those times, I learn so much about my Heavenly Father. And one of the greatest things that I have found in those times is that my Holy Daddy supercedes all of reality, all of my realism, all of my fears and doubts... He is God and He holds the whole world in His hands. He is the reality, the beginning and the end.

 

Today is one of those days where I just feel down. Everybody has them. Sometimes it's hard to stay positive in a negative world. But Christ calls me to find joy in my emotional roller coaster, to search for peace despite my chaotic mind. On days like these I have to step away from it all and look for a new perspective. Whether it's sitting outside Starbucks and reading Gods word or walking around a random place and people watching, Gods presence can be found anywhere. And where He is, there is peace. The devil's chokehold has no power where He is. And the reality is that I have a reason to be joyful and expectant of good things- I have a friend in Jesus, the man who died for me and makes all things new.