I became a leader quite young in the faith. A year after I received Christ, I started a prayer group which in hindsight, taught me spiritual warfare. Extremely inexperienced as a leader, yet aware of the dramatic entrance of the Lord and His Holy Spirit into my life, the gifts of the Spirit were very much in action (See 1 Cor 14).
An episode stands clearly in my mind. In my group, as there are in many groups, was a control freak. He sought to take control whenever I was leading, and yet, when asked to lead, he would decline. In one of those tussles, a vision flashed across my mind.
Instead of the chairs that we were sitting on (we were seated in a circle), we were seated on thrones. We were all seated in the heavenlies, on thrones. And the rebellious one, had vacated his throne to bait me to leave mine, so that he could take my place -- while his own seat remained empty, vacant, powerless.
Such is the power of discontent. God had given him his place of ministry, where he could minister in the gifts given to him, and where he could excel. But he sought my place of leadership, thinking it was better than his.
In a flash, I knew what to do -- to stand my ground (as in Ephesians 6). I remained calm, seated in the heavenlies, in the place God had given me.
He, on the other hand, had episode after episode of mental and spiritual torment. Such is the power of discontent.
The group eventually dissolved and we went our separate ways. Prompted by the Lord, he wrote me a letter asking for my forgiveness some years later. Of course, I forgave him. We were all immature, anyway. But the group was invaluable in teaching me lessons of spiritual warfare which I would later apply when the Lord called me into full-time minstry.
I'm not sure why I'm writing this. Perhaps someone needs to read it.
Blessings, all.
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