Good morning, everyone.
Our verse for today comes from Acts 6:10, “And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke.”
Whenever I hear or read the word resist, I cannot help but recall certain episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation. On those shows, the crew of the Enterprise battled against a most formidable foe called the Borg. These beings were a race of cyborgs whose intent was to assimilate all whom it encountered by turning them into “drones” and by adding the “biological and technological distinctiveness” of its target into the “Collective,” which was the hive mind that connected each borg with the other. But the signature declaration of the Borg as it addressed its next victim is what stands out in my mind, as each subject for assimilation heard these ominous words, “Resistance is futile.” It’s an interesting proposition, this notion of resisting. Each of us is deeply familiar with the struggle that it involves and can point to numerous encounters where resistance was woefully futile. But we also have a memory bank of times when we were able to resist, even if the “collective” of failures seems to be the more powerful image. I suppose several factors are significant determinants as to whether resistance is in fact futile or not. A couple of those could be the method of resistance and the reason for resisting. Whether its sweets, spending more than you should, pornography, or speaking unkindly of someone, there is always a manner by which you choose to resist and a specific reason for doing so.
Now if either of those elements are coming from a place within you that needs addressing or improvement, then the chance for success is slim. If the potential for savings has not been laid on the altar of the future fulfillment of adhering to a budget, then break out your assortment of credit cards and charge away. On the other hand, if your scale for measuring yourself doesn’t come with a full-length mirror that shows you inside and out, then resisting the inclinations of the Holy Spirit becomes almost second nature. It requires virtually no effort at all. Your mind needs to become as open to His promptings as it should be closed to belittling and smut. And on the way there, keep resisting what’s bad and keep coming back to Christ for renewal, restoration, and acceptance.
As we seek Him today, ask God to give you His mindset on the things that you need to resist, and then don’t resist when He tries to give it to you.
Have a victorious Thursday.
#4 Rich Holt
Dad of Ripken, Koy, TrishaJean, Samantha, Kakie Holiday and Raleigh
Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them.
