All you are… is In My Way

By: Carole L. Haines

^10 “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. ¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.”(Ephesians 6:10-12)

There is a continual irritation for me on the road. Now, I am not a perfect driver, but I do try not to exceed 5 miles over the speed limit. I have always done this as far back as I can remember. Cruise control helps a lot. But in this fast-paces world, I get tail-gated often and people speed around me angrily. My response has mainly been to get angry, possible mumble some curse under my breath, and to actually feel hate toward the person. There is a part of me that is so hurt by what their actions say to me, which is, “All you are…is In My Way.”

Having been through some of the trauma I have experienced in my life, the sense of being thrown away and cast aside as having only the worth of someone who needs to be stepped on as a means for others to get ahead, is infuriating for me. But as I read the above Scripture this morning, the Spirit whispered to my heart this message, “Remember this with the people who are driving around you. Instead of cursing them, pray for them. They are not the enemy. They are captives to the enemy, captives of the world forces of darkness, of the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Carole, pray for them instead.”

The Spirit’s prompting was as clear as a fresh washed window. He has asked me to pray for these people who irritate me on the road each day. O this is a task I do not relish but I believe it will touch them in ways I don’t understand, and it will change me in ways I deeply need. Someone else needed to hear this today. Please leave me a comment, if the Lord spoke to you through this as well. Let’s honor Him by loving those who treat us badly. Jesus said “²⁷ “But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, ²⁸ bless those who curse you, pray for those who are abusive to you.” (Luke 6:27-28)

I would love to hear from you. Have a Blessed Day.