Every time I go into a spiritual battle to be rid of something that prevents me from walking in his freedom, I come away from the battle with something new. BONUS!
Example #1: I fought hard for nearly a decade to overcome the guilt and shame of my past. And yes, Jesus was there all along feeding me a steady diet of truth. But it was a process of healing; and that process yielded immeasurably greater results and intimacy with my Savior than if I had been instantly set free.
BONUS: My focus during those years was on being rid of my "cloak of shame." It never occurred to me this cloak would be replaced with something new. BUT IT WAS! Jesus took my guilt away and gave me a robe of righteousness. He replaced my shame with dignity and honor.
Example #2: For the past year or so, I've been battling the paralyzing sin of fear. Most notably, a fear of speaking and "putting myself out there," which I know is what God has called me to do for him! (A week ago, I could not have made that declaration to you, out of fear.) This past week, I attended the Christian Communicators Conference in Asheville, NC, and had such an amazing encounter with Jesus that I will never be the same. He defeated my fear in one fell swoop.
BONUS: My focus, once again, was on being rid of my fear. It never occurred to me that my paralyzing fear would be replaced with something new. BUT IT WAS! Jesus defeated my fear and filled me a bold excitement, an overflowing JOY, at the thought of sharing his goodness with others.
Maybe to everyone else this is just common knowledge, but it's thrilling to me. Imagine having something stinky and rotting in your fridge, but you can't figure out the source. You scrub and clean and throw things out until eventually the culprit is revealed. You see the rotten item that is causing the stink, carry it out to the trash, and rid your home of it once and for all. Mission accomplished, right?!
BONUS: You walk back in and are greeted by a breathtaking aroma. It's so refreshing and pleasant; and completely unexpected. Where did THAT come from?
That's what Jesus does in us. While we are merely satisfied to be rid of our trash; Jesus goes above and beyond by replacing our stinky mess with something new, something pure, something beautiful. All glory to him! What a Savior!
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