The Real Battle

There is one side that is trying to convince everyone that love and kindness is a weakness — and another side that has proven that love and kindness is the only true strength.

The real battle isn’t about your struggle between you and someone else — but to win you over into believing that love and kindness is a lost and abandoned and failed solution. The battle is to convince you to give up on love and kindness, forget about The Way, and go the way of the world.

Note: This convicting revelation came to me during a discussion on the topic of “liars” with a friend, Jonathan Reeves on Facebook.

People who are not content and at peace with reality choose lying as an escape.

Sometimes they use that escape just to cope – because they don’t know any other way to handle reality. Sometimes they use that escape to try and manipulate others around them to fit how they want things to be.

Lies hurt those around us — either immediately or later — but they eventually bear out the fruit of their seed. Our lies will not remain hidden forever. Nor are they harmless.

When dealing with hurt from those who have lied, deceived, manipulated and used me – it helps me love and forgive when I can see what’s going on “inside them”, and remember what has driven me to lie in my past as well.

It helps me even more to remember all the lies I’ve told and that Jesus still went to the cross for me — and for them.

It’s hard when trust is broken — but we can expect broken and hurting people to pour out hurt onto others — until they find healing from The Healer.

Has someone lied to you, deceived you, hurt you? I’m sorry you’re feeling it. But I know that God has a lesson in this for us, and an opportunity for us to show undeserved mercy and grace — for His glory. Amen.

Have you shown love and kindness so many times that you have wondered whether it is pointless to continue? Have you given up hope on them?

I guarantee that in our past someone said of each of us “he/she just doesn’t get it” after trying to help us and we just weren’t ready yet.

Keep loving. Keep forgiving. Keep praying. In due season, God’s will and purpose will be revealed.

I am sorry for the hurt and broken trust you have received. My virtual hug, my words, and my prayers for those reading this may not erase the wound — but maybe it can at least be salve to ease the healing process. If you are dealing with this, I know that God will bless you and your friend when we humble ourselves and pray.

I know that people can be tiresome. I know that the roar of chaos around us can seem deafening. That’s why we have to help each other in those times — see a brother who is tired and beaten up, and we pick him up and encourage him.

And not be afraid when we are the tired one to be helped by another.

By reading my words, by commenting, by responding — many of you have encouraged me and picked me up from my ditch different times, and maybe today was your time to do this again — and you didn’t even realize it.

Getting to talk and look at my own failings in this area today has been good for my heart and helped me take steps towards forgiving those who I felt lied to, and deceived me, and hurt me and my family. At first, I thought I was helping you — but I’ve realized it was God again revealing His great mercy towards me and my need to repent, forgive, and be renewed.

Let’s not buy in to the lie of the enemy — love and kindness ands forgiveness is the only way. And when by the grace of God we possess it ourselves (unreservedly), we must extend it to those around us who don’t deserve it. In fact, the ones who hurt us the most, need it the most. The ones who lie, deceive, manipulate, use us and cause us to want to give up on them are the ones we must pray the strongest for — for the sake of our own hearts not becoming hardened, bitter, and unforgiving — for the sake of our own faith not failing– for the sake of our not forgetting the great sacrifice ands undeserved mercy God has shown us.

Thank you and God bless.