THE FIGHT

By: Lisa Petrarca

“Here we go again! I’m so tired of the same argument over and over again,” she shouted at her husband. “Why can’t you just leave me alone and mind your own business!” He replied, “You never listen to a word I say. I know what I’m talking about. Why can’t you just listen? Then we wouldn’t have to always have the same fight.”

She took in a deep breath, ready to let him have it again. But then something hit her…as if someone was speaking inside of her.

“Haven’t you been praying for help with your mouth? You thought you were doing so much better and that HE was the problem. But wait, aren’t you the problem too. You have lashed out and now you both have said very mean and hurtful things to each other.”

She felt as if the air had been sucked out of her. She had been praying and asking for help in this area. She thought she had gotten better and overcome the issue, only to be confronted with it once again. Had she really overcome it or was she back at square one? Heading around the same mountain that she had been going around for years.

“Why does this keep happening to me? I want to be a better person and just when I think I am, I blow it again. I get sucked into situations that make me explode,” she whispered.

Then the answer came to her. “You have cleaned the outside, but inside you still harbor bitterness, anger and resentment. You will now need to work on the things INSIDE that cause you to react this way. All of the painful issues from the past that you are still hanging on to. They are controlling you and you need to let all of it go. You need to realize who you are in Christ. You are a new person. Let His peace fill your emptiness. There is much work to do, but I’m here for you, trust Me enough to let go, I’ll carry your pain and burdens.”

With that, she began to weep, knowing that she needed to give up everything that was buried deep within her to Heavenly Father. She needed to learn to trust again.

Instead of looking at the person you have problems with, take time to search yourself. What do you need to work on? Are you going around the same mountain? Do you have issues that you need to lay at the Lord’s feet? You can’t change someone else, but you can change yourself. Ask the Lord to help you…he will carry your pain. Remember, until we let go of the past, we can never truly move on to the blessings and peace that is waiting for each of us.

“For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Luke 14:11

“To you first, God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities.” Acts 3:26