A few days ago I blogged about how I am still a work in progress. For those of you that read that blog, this is sort of a continuation of that.

Today I had the opportunity to see (from a distance) the person that I spoke about in the blog. The feelings about this whole incident are still a little fresh. When I saw her, I immediately felt my eyes well up. Although I have forgiven her, the pain and hurt are still there. I felt like for one nano second that I was going to have a negative thought, so I immediately started praying for her. I felt a release in the Spirit, but my heart still aches.

I  have been reading quite a bit of Christian fiction lately and have had a hard time at picking back up on one of the Bible Studies that I was doing. For some reason, (wink, wink) this afternoon after I got home, I felt compelled to go and pick up on this study. It is called Girl Talk: Getting Past the Chitchat. (A Modern Girls' Bible Study by Jen Hatmaker) For all of you "girls" out there, Jen writes some wonderful studies. They are very funny and speak directly to different issues, etc; I highly recommend them if you are looking for a good study.  

Today the chapter I read was titled "Satan's Game Plan." It spoke of how it is Satan's job to divide and conquer the body of Christ. It really spoke to me today. I know it was part of HIS timing that I read this today. There were several things that really stood out to me. She was talking about division between "believers" and she said that it all boils down to one disappointment: "As a believer, he shouldn't have." Sometimes or most of the times when we are hurt by another believer, our first reaction is that they should know better, they are supposed to be a Christian. Have you thought this to yourself before?

Jen states, "Between a vicious Enemy, the enemy within, and a lost world, godly community is an endangered species. God's children are fragmented, isolated, and separated from each other. Satan raises a banner of victory. He's got us arguing, gossiping, harboring grudges, judging, criticizing, pretending, manipulating, and competing with each other. Meanwhile, the treasures of community are lost. There is no space for love when gossip consumes our time. When our relational reserves are poisoned, there is nothing left for the lost. We become distracted, the Enemy's special trick." (Underlining is mine.)

This was another powerful statement that Jen wrote, "There is no need to attack God's family from the outside if it crumbles from the inside out." My friends, that is a POWERFUL statement.

Can I encourage you today to refuse to walk into Satan's trap? The Bible says in II Corinthians 2:11 that we are not ignorant of Satan's devices. If I read the scriptures right, it also says in Philippians 4:13, that I CAN do all things through Christ, who strengthens me. I CAN forgive and forget even when my flesh doesn't want to. I say that we work on our relationships so that ultimately the whole body is strengthened. Let's not allow Satan to come in and "divide and conquer". When that happens, we lose out, but also the lost, hurting and broken don't get ministered to, which is our calling!
 
I'm praying for you today my friend, that WE will ALL (and I'm including myself in that) have grace for members of God's family. That we will let go of these judgmental, criticizing, etc. attitudes. I don't know about you, but I get tired of Satan sitting on my front porch ready to dish out these attitudes to me in these different areas. I think it is high time we do some rebuking!!!

I hope you have had a blessed day today!!! I can't wait to hear your thoughts and comments about how we can all refuse to fall into Satan's trap and stand together. Won't you join with me today?