It occurred to me as I went through my study this morning that Paul had strength I had not thought of before. He was literally writing from prison in Rome! Could you imagine the pain and torment being all alone in that jail would have been like? Only because of his beliefs! He could have rebelled and yelled an screamed and fought, but what did he spend his time doing? He wrote.
wake up call
This my friends is a wake up call to me. God knew exactly what I needed to see and feel in my heart this morning so that I could face this day with gratitude instead of anger. Whether we want to believe in the world’s problems and stack them against our rights; or jump on the band wagon with the narrative… We all have a choice of how we deal with others during these opinions.
At first, I was really quite shocked that more people were not taking the current day ‘crisis’ seriously. I was making masks, sanitizing, ordering people to stay home and building contraptions for my secretary to stay ‘safe’. Then a lightening bolt struck me… lol nope a tree fell on me. Literally. And I slowed down long enough to take some time to read, investigate and not just watch main stream media. I tallied notes, kept my eyes open and most importantly God gave me time to see the fear the world was in.
wait and see
The next stage I hit was disbelief, it was more like “wait and see”. So I assumed new data would surface, people would investigate and come up with a solution to this new fear that was hitting the world. Well, it did. Isolation and vaccination. Well now I really wanted to wait and see. I know not everyone is like me, thank the Lord! I just started to question and ask questions. Then BAM! I was labelled a conspiracy theorist. I don’t hold a degree, but that title behind my name I don’t think I had yet earned. Then I was mad. How were my questions leading me to a conspiracist?
do not label me
Then the next stage of my progress hit. ANGER! I was so angry that people were now labelling me, and worse yet they put me in a category of anti-vaxxer? I had not been called that in my life! That label was for those ‘tree-hugging recycling people’? lol
So, you can imagine my anger turned to rage when I found out my friends are now being told they have to take the vaccine in order to work, eat, pay their mortgage etc. The crisis went from people dying from covid to people hurting others and blaming them for this crisis. My friends were HEROS not even a few months ago, and now they are villains. This is where I was last night, so angry and sad. I wanted to curl up and be with God and escape the world.
i am exhausted too
This morning arose and I have cow catastrophes, backaches, real estate to contend with and of course my family. I decided to read scripture. Because going to Church right now would just insight more anger about singing in masks. It was here that God met me. He gave me EXACTLY what I needed.
God showed me how Paul cared so much about the church (the body of believers), that while he was a prisoner in Rome he was writing to Colossae (current day Turkey). He could have been so angry and regressed, cried and curled up in his jail cell filled with anger. He didn’t. It was in prison where he kept encouraging Christs followers not adhere to the worlds beliefs. He worried about them enough that he used his last days to keep inspiring and loving on Christs followers.
who are my words for?
When I look at Facebook I think that Paul would have loved to have had it then! But one augmentation. He would have addressed his posts to the believers not to the world at large. He wasn’t trying to change non-believers hearts, he was encouraging those that already believed. In Matthew 7:6 it is said: “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their fee, and turn and tear you to pieces.”
I think that God was showing me where to direct my encouragement. Not to the world at large but to those that are growing weary. People are so tired of fighting the good fight for Christ. Those that stand for Christ and His truth. I am not to be like the world and rest in fear and anger and cast my stones. I am to be like Paul and keep writing to those that need to be loved and encouraged.
my voice, His word.
So, as challenging as this next step will be in my life, while I hide away I won’t be silent. I will keep the faith and keep writing and speaking. Facebook or not, my voice will be written to those that follow our Lord. My words will be geared to His elect. Thank you GOD for showing me today where Paul’s energy was spent so that I could try to do the same.
Val says
Thank you Jessica! This is so right on point! God bless you 💕
Val
Christa Jones says
Thank you: I am angry and I needed to read this.