"I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."
Galatians 2: 20 NKJV
It is a desperate time into which many believers have walked. Alone and afraid with nothing but defeat nagging at their every thought. Our journey through life's minefields can be one of grief, fear and terror. Seldom do we see the victory waiting for us on the other side of the valley. This is where fight or flight meets faith and all too often it's a battle we lose. As humans, when a crisis arrives we're programmed to do one of a few things, to face our situation head on or to run from it as fast as we can. Hence the term fight or flight. I faced such a situation this past week. although not a life or death struggle, it still left me with more stress than I would have liked at the time. The fact that our stress invokes many negative physical responses to our bodies is no secret to me. A few days into my minefield of a week, I recalled a sermon I had once heard on our dependence upon others. I'm not sure what made me think of this sermon, and I'm certain that at this point it matters even less. However, the focus of the pastors lecture was the importance of our faith in Jesus over our dependence upon others. I'm sure at the time that I had listened to this sermon and filed it away into the outgoing file of my brain, never to be thought of again. However, for some reason I recalled this message. The underlying message? Men will often disappoint us, but Jesus will never let us down. A good thought to remember as we're skipping through another of life's minefields. When everyone else has abandoned us, it is Jesus who became our identity who reminds us of who we really are. The apostle Paul reminds us of our identity in Galatians. We are, for lack of a better explanation, Jesus.
"When I go home, people say to me, 'why do you do it, Hoot, what are you some kind of war junkie?' "I won't say a goddamn word, you know why? Because they won't understand why we do it. They won't understand that it's about the guys next to you, that's all it is."
Sgt. Norm Hooten 1st SFODD "Delta Force"
Operation Gothic Serpent, October 3-4 1993, Mogadishu, Somalia
It's something we've all felt or experienced. Depending on someone whom we hope will be our guide as navigate another of life's minefields. Some end up well and strengthen the bond between two brethren. However, there are also times when such episodes don't end so well for those involved. Yes, I've been involved in my fair share of both. Comedian Chris Rock once said, 'You know, you probably won't get arrested if you just use common sense.' However, many of us also already know that trust in others also at times turns out badly. That's how things go. So, what are we to do when another minefield rises to meet us? Run? Well, my advice would be to keep walking into that minefield. Yes, keep walking into that minefield, all the while never forgetting who it is that you are. You are the vessel of the living Lord and Savior Christ Jesus. Remember this the next time you feel that you are somehow facing life's pitfalls alone.
~Scott~
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