A Devotional Thought by Lois Coady
This morning, I began working through our new women’s Bible study on the Armor of God and was directed to I Peter 5:8 which says: “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” The study reminds us that Satan is actively looking for ways to work his way into our hearts and minds and divert our focus off God so we behave in ways that do not honor God. However, when we activate the armor (resources) that God has passed on to us they will protect us against these attacks.
One of the areas Satan attacks in our lives is self-control. Our culture does not value self-control at all, in fact just the opposite. We live in a world where self-indulgence and self-gratification is promoted as something that should be the ultimate goal of our existence. We are encouraged to do “what feels good,” to “stand up for our rights,” to be “in-it-to-win-it.” That is exactly what the devil wants us to do. Satan loves it when our focus is on WIIFM (What’s in it for ME?) instead of WIIFO (What’s in it for OTHERS?).
What we know from spending time in God’s word and watching what Jesus modeled for us as He walked on earth is that self-indulgence is not what God desires of us. Jesus modeled a humble, selfless approach to life. The whole focus of His existence centered on what would benefit others. He met people where they were, in the streets, in their homes, at the well, and ministered to their deepest needs ignoring social norms.
Jesus taught us how to honor God by loving one another (I Peter 4:8) and honoring our differences. He challenged us to forgive those with whom we have grievances (Colossians 3:13) and to pray for those who injure us. Jesus was all about surrendering what He wanted so that others got what they needed. This is exactly opposite of the mantra of our culture and our natural, human reaction.
I know I am challenged daily to remember how God wants me to live. I need to surrender the WIIFM (What’s in it for me) and embrace the WIIFO (What’s in it for others). This is my deepest desire, to surrender that tendency to focus on myself and instead focus on others. Please join me this week as we activate the armor of God through prayer asking Him to, through the power of the Holy Spirit, help us desire more of Him and less of “ME.”
