Public Enemy #1

The announcer begins, "In this corner, we have Marcia #1, weighing in at"......... seriously? Did you really think I was going to put my actual weight on this blog for everyone to read? Ha! "And in this corner we have Marcia #2! Let the fight begin!" Ding, ding, ding....

Most days, this is what my life is like. There is a fight going on between #1 and #2. Marcia #1 likes to have everything the way she wants it. She has been known to fight dirty. She likes to hit below the belt. She does this by saying things like, "Nobody really appreciates me. Look at all the things I do for this family. I really need a break. I deserve it. After all, I have five kids." Marcia #1 really likes to put herself first.

Marcia #2 doesn't take cheap shots. She likes to play fair. She realizes that the fight she is fighting is for the kingdom. She knows that putting herself first, always ends badly. God comes first in her life. She realizes that her strength comes from Him. Sometimes it may seem like she is loosing, but God gives her peace and endurance. In the end, she will come out on top if she just hangs in there.

I Corinthians 15:58 says, "Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourself fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." So many times the very thing that is trying to "move" us , is our own selfish desires. Some days it is a real battle to die to self. The more time we spend with the Lord, the easier it is to overcome the enemy of selfishness. We have to stand firm in the knowledge that Christ is King. He comes first. He should be put in front of our own selfish desires. If we give ourselves fully to God, then there is no room for selfishness.

God, help me today to put You first. Some days it is hard to focus on You when #1 keeps screaming in my ear. Help me to focus on that "still small voice" that I Kings 19:12 tells me about. Help me to die to self so I can be fully alive in You.