By Sheree Craig
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIV).
Scripture teaches us forgiveness, yet the act of forgiveness is easier said than done. Recall may be connected to people. Picturing the chain of events stirs emotions we thought were erased from memory.
Our bodies enter a survival mode as threatening situations approach. We have two choices: fight or flight. The latter seems easiest and becomes the path most travelled. Run! Run as fast as your legs will go in the opposite direction of danger. The danger includes, but is not limited to, hurt, sadness, and disappointment.
I ran! I ran as fast as my legs would go toward Anorexia Nervosa, alcohol, drugs, and pleasing those around me to avoid rejection. I buried emotions. I numbed with exercise and starvation. I was ill-equipped to fight.
What would happen if we chose to fight? What would be your choice of weaponry? Harsh words? Physical alteration? The silent treatment?
What if we fought with God-breathed Scripture? I believe the result would be healthy coping, spiritual growth, peace, restoration, and protection for future encounters of danger. I am still learning this process as I peel back the layers of buried hurt from the past. It seems that the past creeps in out of nowhere and plummets my spirit back into the very moment of pain. I relive every word spoken, action taken, and emotion stirring from that moment. I am tempted to run in the opposite direction of coping.
But I have learned that running only wears me out and the rotting emotion remains. God is unable to use that moment in my past for good because I hang on to the spirit destroying emotions that never were addressed. The only way to deal is to fight. Fight with God-breathed Scripture.
His Word is useful for teaching—teaching our minds to focus on Him and through all moments in life.
His Word is useful for rebuking—rebuking the enemy and standing firm with the armor God provides daily.
His Word is useful for correcting—correcting as a parent would correct a child, God uses His Truth to correct when our feet shift off the path He laid for our lives.
His Word is useful for training—training for each moment. He will speak into each situation, build our spirits, grow our wisdom, and us train for what is to come.
His Word is our weaponry—weaponry breathed into our spirits to take down the enemy. It equips us to serve Him. It turns horrible memories into amazing ministry used to bring others to know Him. His Word transforms sadness into strength. He will speak His Word louder than the enemy and provide sturdy ground on which to stand. You will not flee. You will fight. And you will win with God every time. The result may not look as you envisioned, and the choice to stay and fight might not be easy, but it will be worth it.
Fight my dear friends. Fight with God-breathed Scripture. I am in the middle of this fight now. Forgiveness of the past must be faced. There are moments in each day I want to run so far from the emotion stirring my spirit that it wears me out just to stand still. It is at that moment I close my eyes and speak the beautiful name, Jesus!
“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God” (Romans 8:26-27 NIV).
Stay strong dear friends. Choose to fight. One foot in front of the other and one day at a time. You’ve got this!
