A person will never understand the meaning of devotion until they have truly felt the pain of battling their flesh—fighting their desires and passions. Our human instinct always drives us to avoid pain, sorrow, misfortune, and hardship; instead, we seek comfort, luck, and satisfaction. Yet when we come before the Most-High, we must change that mindset: “My delight is when I overcome my flesh; my satisfaction is when I triumph over my passions and evil thoughts; my joy is when I conquer the unclean desires in my life.”
This is not easy. But if this is not what we are fighting for, it means we have not truly been fighting. Sadly, many Christians do not live in spiritual struggle. They seek God out of fear of being abandoned by Him, yet still want to live comfortably. They do not want to go to hell, but they also refuse to leave their earthly comfort zones. Yet God will give a good life according to His measure and will—not according to human desires.
This should be the primary purpose of our lives: there is only God, ourselves, and His work. In that context, there will undoubtedly be blessings and protection. The wheel of our life will keep turning—but let it turn within God’s arena, not one we have built for ourselves. As long as that wheel keeps turning in His presence, we will come to know God more tangibly and deeply.
When we live in that awareness, we will fight to live out every truth we understand. Loving God is no trivial matter, for only those who fight know what it truly means to love Him. Many people know what ministry is, but they do not love ministry. They recognize the work of God, but they do not value it. When that ministry is lost or taken away, anger and a sense of personal ownership rise. They think: “This is my work; I’m the one who must do it!” Yet it is not ours—it is God’s work. We are merely employees in His Kingdom. Everything belongs to Him. Let us not fall into the devil’s trap laid through pride and misguided ownership.
We are all called to find our arena of life—a place where we live in fellowship with God. If we fall into sin, let us not enjoy it. Sin should be something painful, not a habit we justify. If accidental sin begins to feel pleasurable, it will soon become intentional. And if sin continues to be enjoyed, over time, we will lose our spiritual sensitivity. We will no longer be able to discern what is sin and what is not. May we all be kept from this heart-blinding condition.
Understand this: the various shakings God allows are His way of lovingly making us aware of the hidden dangers in the wheel of our lives. When God shakes someone’s life arena, it is a sign that something is wrong and needs to be set in order. Sadly, many people fail to realize this. They become angry when shaken, and—afraid to blame God—they place the blame on others whom they think are disturbing their comfort.
Instead, when shaking comes, we should come with a humble heart and ask: “Lord, what is wrong in my life?”