Dans cqbiblestudy.org Opinion The Battle of Reformation 2 Chron. 20:15 Thursday AUGUST 29 Recovery from an eating disorder involves a battle against self. I know because I have fought such a battle and still do. I try not to see food as an enemy or a coping mechanism. I try not to envy what “beautiful” girls have. I try not to hate what I see when I look in a mirror. I am trying to regain control of my mind from the spell I let Satan put on me. The battle is for God to fight, not us. Reformation is also a battle against self. It means changing what has gone wrong or what has been corrupted and bringing it to a better state. It involves thoughts, habits, and lifestyles that have been corrupted and must be transformed for the better. I experience reformation in my recovery from an eating disorder—my body image and eating habits have been corrupted and must be reformed into something good. However, this is an emotionally torturous battle, requiring the change of a negative self-image that has festered for years and that is difficult to release. I have often felt alone in fighting this battle, and I have wondered if I will ever see victory. King Jehoshaphat may have felt the same way as his enemies marched against Judah. He admitted to God that the Israelites were powerless against them. So he “set himself to seek the Lord” and declared, “ ‘our eyes are upon [God]’ ” (2 Chron. 20:3, 12, NKJV). Despite his fear, Jehoshaphat put his confidence in God. As king, he was expected to be in control of the situation and to demonstrate unwavering bravery, but he humbly confessed uncertainty and weakness. After Jehoshaphat admitted his vulnerability and requested God’s deliverance, God told Jehoshaphat and the Israelites not to be afraid, “ ‘for the battle is not yours, but God’s’ ” (verse 15). In the battle that involves the reformation of thought and habit, you may feel as Jehoshaphat did—afraid, powerless, uncertain. You may feel that no one understands how you suffer and strive to change. You may feel alone in the fight against self. I know I did. But instead of allowing these feelings to overwhelm us, we can seek the Lord and trust Him. The battle is for God to fight, not us. Only when we allow Him to lead can we obtain victory over self and experience reformation. REACT The book of Revelation offers a number of promises regarding reformation. See Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 26–28; 3:5, 12, 21. What do these texts mean to you?
Posted on: Fri, 30 Aug 2013 12:25:09 +0000
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