What Do They Want From Us?

Welcome to Traces Space.  What do they want from us? Someone recently in a conversation said that to me, I really had no answer, but jokenly said, Your soul.  As usual when I come off with something like that it stirs something in me, and I got to thinking, what is it folks want from us, what is required, and what are we actually required to give.
We know who wants our soul, or at least we hope we do, and there is an adversary that is constantly coming to try to steal, kill and destroy it.  This struggle begins the moment we are born, and it's sneaky and very clever.  It reeks havoc in our lives by playing with our emotions, our health, our finances, anything that you have allowed to become your personal button pusher.  While we pray that we can be strong, run the life race, have major faith, sometimes it feel like a person could spontaneously combust. Can I have a witness?
So recently stuff I could usually care less about has grated my soul.  I can feel this self righteous anger building and honestly I believe it's making me physically ill.  My tolerance for folks is very low, and areas where I have always felt confident have become weary.  In all honesty, just by acknowledging this, I feel better, because my feelings are sinful.  I have such conviction in this area of my life right now, and it's not from the accuser.
I think God is calling me out because He doesn't want me to be where I am right now.  This is not who He is, because He doesn't like ugly, and hey, I'm being that!
If we are honest, recognizing it is where healing begins.
When we truly engage in walking the walk and talking the talk, transparency is not optional.  You constantly have to come clean with God and accept His consequences.  And while we may want to blame others for our thoughts or our actions, at the end of the day no one owns it but us.  Ouch!
We can play the blame game, but our responses and actions that come forth need to be quickly analyzed, and prayerfully lead.  See being reactional is nothing more than being careless, and when we are careless it leads to disaster.
It is so hard when we have been hurt, when our trust has been violated.  It is so hard when it's not the first time it has happened, when you have found yourself constantly forgiving over and over, but who are we? We have been the recipient of that kind of forgiveness for 2000 years.
I am not trying to be holier than thou here.  Honestly this is a jab at repentance.  I need to come clean. So do you.
What do they want from us?  It doesn't matter.  Our accountability strictly belongs at the throne of God.  Don't misunderstand that, it doesn't mean we are free to go rogue and not live up to standards in the work place or at home, we still have life stuff we have to do, but those things do not own us.  We are not slaves to any one or anything, our freedom and redemption comes from Christ. He is the one who truly gives and takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord.
The Joy of the Lord is our strength! He is faithful and true.  His words are not invalid, and His love infinite, His wisdom the same.
Instead of worrying so much about them, we need to focus more on Him and that which He wants from us.
Lord I come before you with a repentant heart.  I am sorry for allowing it to become about me, I am sorry that others haven't mattered.  I need to allow You to do Your job, You are much better at it than me.  Restore my joy, and my trust.  Protect me from my enemy's, and restore my faith and peace, because that comes from You.  Amen!
So what do they want from us?
See you next time