By Saramarie Wade
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m writing as a messenger, a vessel, a transportation system for the Holy Spirit of God. As we have come to know and understand from past experiences, temptation plays a continuous part in each of our lives at some point or another.
As people, we all go through temptations in our daily walk, whether it be in the morning on our way to school or work, at home or just alone with our thoughts. It is a constant and never-ending battle between the spirit within yourself and the enemy, where his number one goal and means of attack is to lure us away from God, to deceive us into thinking that we are alone, that we are discouraged and that we will never amount to anything.
These are the constant whispers in our ears, as the enemy infiltrates our lives with negativity, until we drown and become so deep in temptation that we do not even recognize our own soul. The enemy is after you, especially when something great is coming, looking for a family to tear apart, looking for a future to ruin before it even has a chance to get started, looking for a church to separate and looking for a nation he can divide.
Sometimes it takes a desperate situation to drive you to God for guidance. We are all going to go through trials and tribulations. We are all going to make mistakes. Some of us are still going through trials, whether it’s with our family, friends, health or work issues. We all need healing and we all need Jesus. Jesus is the answer to overcome any temptations throughout our spiritual battle. Hebrews 4:14-16 says, “Therefore since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confessions. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weakness, but one who has similarly been tested in every way, yet without sin. So let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help.”
We are all sinners, but even Jesus Christ who is without sin has experienced trials and tribulations just like us. He’s experienced the shame, the pain, the betrayal, the hurt and the humiliation, through it all, becoming victorious time and time again in the battle against evil. He has shown us that He walks with us and understands our pain and just like Jesus, we will get back up!
He had to come into the world, through weakness so that in your weakness, you will know that He is strong! The infant became the infinite power that would soon be the Light of the World. Have you ever thought of it this way? That maybe God isn’t punishing you, that maybe He’s preparing you? That maybe sometimes it’s out of sadness that God produces great strength? That maybe sometimes it’s out loneliness, that you sense His closeness?
There is comfort in knowing that our God is comfortable in the chaos. That even when tempted, He can help us deal with it because He dealt with it already. You have hope when good things happen … but how is your hope when God seems silent?
We, as God’s people, as God’s children, can overcome whatever we are going through if we invite Him into our trials, tribulations and temptations, because God can’t bless closed hands. Stop trying to have this one part of your life that you won’t let God in on. Stop being so prideful, not letting people help you, because the very people who help you are the very people that God sent to help you, but you keep trying to be so self-sufficient, while God is already answering your prayer. It is frustrating to our God when He has so much to give, but you’re not giving Him enough room because you are blocked by too many distractions of this world.
We all get distracted from time to time, even when we are drawn in by social media, with the pictures and the lifestyle, all of these portraying the image of perfection, when the focus of perfection is God.
Our focus needs to be fixed, it needs to be turned around! Many times in our lives, we invite everything else into our lives but Him, trying to fill a hole that can only be filled by the Lord himself, leaving us unsatisfied, empty and wanting more.
But those days are over, because what you went through or what you’re going through is only temporary. In the Gospel of John it is stated that, “The hour is coming and is now here” That hour is here! Your season is here! Your breakthrough is here!”
We need to continue to remind ourselves that we are all messengers inspired by the Holy Spirit. We should always remember that it is not only a gift to be used by God, but also it is a privilege!
This is a season not only for myself, but also for all of you. It is time to invite God fully into your life. It is time to receive what God has for you! It is time to turn your MESS into your MESSAGE! It is time to break those chains that are keeping you from getting those blessings! The time is here and the time is now! Let us keep Jesus Christ as our focus!
Wade is a rising senior at The Mary Louis Academy, Jamaica Estates, and attends Our Lady of Light parish, St. Albans.