Prayer, peace, and modesty

I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them.
(1 Timothy 2:1 NLT)

To the best of your ability and with Christ’s strength, who lives in you, be at peace with all people, pray for them, and live modest lives for these things please God. There is a wild adventure on life’s journey and many times it includes battles but we don’t make war with people but the spirit with the flesh. There are times when people allow their flesh to rule their actions and are therefore used by the enemy to attack the spirit within you but the battleground cannot be seen with our natural eyes, as a matter of fact to combat these attacks as your flesh would lead is to lay down your only weapons, surrender, and join the enemy’s camp. Too often when we feel attacked it is our flesh that leads the charge but being saved from the rule of the flesh we must see the attack for what it is – spiritual warfare. Our weapons are not made of iron or steel nor can we defend ourselves with words that hurt but love, peace, and joy are the tools we have been given so that we might know victory over the devil and his tricks. By faith we withstand the fiery darts of the enemy and it is when we appear weak to others God’s strength is made known. It is as if two children disagreed because one did something wrong and the other tried to correct his sibling, in the end they are both wrong but instead of trying to correct if the second child would just do what he already knows is right and allow the parent to handle it everything would be made right. How many “adult” Christians try to correct their brother or sister themselves, as if they are God’s instrument of righteousness when in fact they have much worse sin in their own lives? Jesus sternly tells us there is a better way.

Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend's eye.
(Matthew 7:5 NLT)

God’s desire for our lives is that we grow in His Son and become more like Him in the things we say and do, praying continually, and placing other’s needs ahead of our own. When we become mature in this way God will use us but the source comes from a different place than you may be used to, for you do not act out of your flesh but God’s Holy Spirit within. This struggle is my struggle, for many times I’ve pointed out to my brother and sister where they are wrong yet my own wrongs go unchecked but God is teaching me as I submit to His authority in my life. Asking for forgiveness is one of the hardest things I’ve ever done but if I am to grow more like Christ then this step I must take.

Send out Your light and Your truth; let them guide me. Let them lead me to Your holy mountain, to the place where You live. There I will go to the altar of God, to God—the source of all my joy. I will praise You with my harp, O God, my God!
(Psalms 43:3-4 NLT)