The Monsters Within

I am a funny creature I've decided. I have been on a constant search for the better me for many years now, and I have been able to reach a level of success as a man, even finding that work that the Lord has for me. I think everyone wants people to think well of them, and to say good things about them. Yet there are some things that I just don't want to be heard said about me.

One of those things is that I was mean to my family, or scare them at times. The sorry fact is however, that I do that from time to time. I blow up at the littlest things, and say hurtful things. Oh, I'm always quick to repent, but I want to live out of the overflow of the Spirit's leading and not have to be falling to my knees asking forgiveness. I want to bless and not confess I guess. (Yes I am a poet and know it.)

That brings me to the title of this blog, "The Monsters Within". I don't really believe that I have monsters living inside of me, Scripture says that I am the temple of the Holy Spirit and I know that He resides there. Yet Scripture also admonishes that we should renew our minds daily. It is there that the monsters live so to speak, in our past. In all of those things that we have done before salvation, and even some afterwards. And yes I do believe that my past is under the Blood of Jesus, yet the memories and residual consequences of those actions remain, like a hawk hovering there ever ready to strike.

We all carry things from our past into our walk with the Lord, everyone. I am reminded about the movie "O Brother Where Art Thou" starring George Clooney. He and his two traveling companions Delmar and Pete (prisoners from the chain gang), happen upon a church baptismal service and they both run to the water to get baptized.

Pete: Well, I'll be, Delmar's been saved.

Delmar: Well, that's it, boys. I been redeemed. The preacher done washed away all my sins and transgressions. It's the straight and narrow from here on out. And heaven everlasting's my reward.

Everett: Delmar, what are you on about? We got bigger fish to fry.

Delmar: The preacher said all my sins is washed away, including that Piggly Wiggly I knocked over in Yazoo.

Everett: You said you was innocent of that.

Delmar: Well, I was lyin'. And the preacher said that that sin's been washed away, too. Neither God nor man's go nothin' on me now.

(Later when the three of them are driving down the road in a stolen car)

Pete: The preacher said it absolved us.

Everett: For Him, not for the law. I gave you credit for more brains than Delmar Pete.

Delmar: But witnesses seen us redeemed.

Everett: That's not the issue, Delmar. Even square with the Lord, Mississippi's hard nosed.

That's how it is with us too, we have things in our past that have made us who we are, and even though our sins have been absolved, we still bear the marks of those things in who we are. That is where the monsters are, those things that we still fight within ourselves. And these are different for every person; one may face anger, another may hide in fear and yet another may be always trying to please. Whatever the monster, we have to vanquish it, and that only comes through the Holy Spirit revealing it to us, and then showing us how to do that.

This is not to say that it will be an easy road, it's not I know from first hand experience. I agree with the Apostle Paul when he said, "The things I want to do, I do not, and the thing I do not want to do, I do." (Dave's paraphrase). There is hope, the more time we spend with the Father, asking Him to reveal our shortcomings to us, we will find success and the life that Jesus was talking about in John 10:10; life and life to the full.

Get 'em up folks, let's go out and whip something for the Kingdom today!