Plans and Obstacles
2 Words in 1
Plans
Devil’s Plan –
Step 1) always divides to conquer,
Step 2) always calls you ‘victim,’ and
Step 3) always tells you to focus on your ‘rights.’
God’s Plan –
Step 1) always unites,
Step 2) always calls you ‘victor’ (more than a conqueror), and
Step 3) teaches you to focus on your (spiritual and physical) ‘responsibility.’
How we evaluate situations we face determines whose plan we are following.
The ‘victim mentality’ is a tactic of the enemy to ‘divide and conquer,’ to isolate with the ‘poor me’.
The ‘blame game‘ mindset evident when we live to the ‘flesh side’ of life – we focus entirely upon perceived ‘rights.’
When we live to the ‘spiritual side’ of life, it is never about rights, but rather our spiritual responsibility (in that same situation).
Unfortunately, I have failed this test many times, and can say without equivocation, without God’s grace, I am destined to the same result…
His grace however, is sufficient. If we humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God He will exalt us in due season.
Humility is the opposite of pride, which always comes ‘before’ a big fall.
Obstacles
Each obstacle I face, every adverse circumstance or encounter, and even forms of disagreement have ‘ability’ to provide me truth, without which I will never be FREE.
Only ‘truth’ contains the power of freedom, yet to obtain it I must often be willing to pay a price.
Arthur Burt
My return to the same problem over and over is proof positive I am not free – as Arthur Burt often taught us, “You must own it, to disown it.” If you never ‘own it,’ you will never ‘disown it.’
What you don’t learn you will repeat.
The price to find ‘truth’ is not one most of us are willing to pay. Why? Because the cost most often associated in obtaining ‘truth’ is pride – our need to be right, to not look bad, to fail or stumble in front of others, to show weakness, etc.,
The truth is that ‘failure’ is one of God’s greatest tools for success. If we allow failure to pain us ‘deeply enough,’ we will find treasure – we will find humility.
Most of us protect ourselves from this pain by pridefully exalting our point of view, never allowing what God seeks most – humility.
It is easy for me to apologize, but hard for me to admit I am wrong… there is a big difference in these two – one is human; the other is Godly.
One can be attained by human effort; the other can ONLY come through God.
“Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God and He will exalt you in due season, as surely as pride will show itself right before your next big fall.”
These words are not idle speculation on my part. They are my life, resplendent with many many failures personally, relationally, spiritually, and financially.
If these words can help a single person avoid the pain my pride has caused me and others, then these failures can be of even greater significance.
Attitude does effect altitude – the lower I am willing to go with God (humility), the higher He will take me (exaltation).
~ Clay Sikes
Clay Sikes ~ Lighthouse Prophecy.
About Rights….We do in fact have rights as a believer and Not from the devil. Jesus died for our rights/benefits. Their are RIGHTS/BENEFITS that came with salvation. When I accept Jesus as my Lord and savoir, Healing became one of my rights, Deliverance, Me becoming the Head and not the Tail became one of my rights, Forgiveness of Sin became one of my rights, etc. Lets keep politics out of the word of God