Tags
blogging, Christianity, culture, faith, humor, insanitybytes22, love, opinion, redemption, relationship
Spite is a word that often has negative implications having to do with malice and a desire for revenge, but all it really means is an, “often petty desire to annoy and offend someone.”
Now of course we should not be spiteful towards one another, but there are some days when spite is all that gets me out of bed in the morning. I’ve spent nearly half a century doing my best to disappoint and offend the enemy. I admit that is a somewhat low standard to have, as in one should probably engage in some praise and worship, rejoice, set ones eyes on higher things, but some days spite is all I’ve got. Somedays I live just to watch the enemy’s face fall, safely tucked behind an army of angels, let me tell you, because I am not confronting that guy alone and outright. However, I do sometimes manage to leave him crest fallen and disappointed and I can almost feel him deflate like a bag of hot air.
Victory!
For some reason I am keenly aware that there has been a battle for my soul raging since the day I was born. That is good news actually, it means one has some worth and value in the kingdom. If the enemy were indifferent, disinterested, that would mean you really don’t pose a threat at all and he just views you as insignificant, not even worth bothering with. Good to keep in mind when those storm clouds are brewing and life is just throwing you one curve ball after another.
So how do you offend and annoy the enemy? Well, getting out of bed seems to work for me. Some days I think he’d like to keep me there, out of commission, disengaged from the world, so I try to thwart him as much as possible. Step one, get out of bed.
Gratitude tends to offend him too, so being grateful is a good way to start your day. If you want to really disappoint him, try being grateful for something unpleasant, something no one in their right mind would be grateful for. Romans 8:28 is a good one to use in these situations, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” So, thank you Lord, I can’t see it, can’t even imagine it, but I know, I truly know you are going to squeeze the goodness out of this situation and hand me beauty for ashes.
Obedience tends to leave him crestfallen too. I suspect he’d much rather have us listen to him rather than God. You can’t do both. Every time you hear God’s voice and obey him, you defy the enemy. He’s really only got one tactic, “did God really say…?” Just eat the apple, I’m sure you’ll be fine….Don’t do it, you won’t be fine at all.
Marriage is a good battlefield, too. Lots of opportunities to thwart the enemy there. Love one another. Speak blessings over one another. Encourage one another. Don’t tell my husband, but a few times I’ve poured praise all over that guy just to spite the enemy. I don’t feel bad about it, I know my husband has woken up a few times and thought, oh good grief, is she still here? Or perhaps, I wish I’d just smothered her with a pillow in my sleep. If you want to really tick off the enemy, fake it till you make it. Or at least bite your tongue until your 3rd or fourth cup of coffee. Sometimes feelings don’t match our words, but I am going to pour kind words out anyway, even if I have to pull them up from the depths of my soul.
Grace is the ultimate weapon in spiritual warfare. Forgive the undeserving, the unworthy. Be gracious towards someone who hasn’t earned it at all, who is not entitled to your kindness. That one will not only deflate the enemy, it will send him into an outright tailspin, a shrieking fit. What is she doing? Is she insane? She can’t do that, that’s irrational!
So, good news for the rebellious, the defiant, and the spiteful. There’s a place in God’s kingdom for you, and if you surrender all to Him, he’ll tranform you from a rebel without a clue into a powerful and purposeful warrior for His kingdom.
Paul said:
Battle Angels! I Googled images looking for a picture and this popped up. Somehow it seemed to fit you IB – Ha!:
LikeLiked by 2 people
insanitybytes22 said:
Oh la la! That works for me, Paul. Very cute!
Ha! I used to have a friend that loved motorcycles. The problem was she was this tiny little thing and couldn’t lift one. I’d get a phone call now and then, “my bike is down, will you come help me?” Cracked me up.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Paul said:
See?A motorcycle angel – perfectly named IB. 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dan Ledwith said:
“Grace is the ultimate weapon in spiritual warfare.” Love it! Right on IB! By the authority vested in me as a man of the cloth in His Majesty’s service, I give you three free sins! Don’t use em all in one place. =)
LikeLiked by 1 person
insanitybytes22 said:
Ha! Very funny. A get out of sin free coupon! That’s way better then the “go straight to jail. If you past go, do not collect 200 dollars.”
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dan Ledwith said:
Enjoy! =p
LikeLiked by 1 person
fromscratchmomblog said:
Interesting take. I never have thought anything positive about spite and if asked to define it my answer would have sounded more intense than your definition. I think of it mostly in terms of the desire to hurt and its synonym, vengeance. I’m giving it my all lately to know and rely on the fact that vengeance is the Lord’s, that I’m unfit to wield it.
Isn’t it funny how some people claim that all religion is just made up by humans to comfort themselves or explain things, or create control.
I have to say if I was setting out to do any of those things I’d have gone up with a very different plan from this total surrender to His will…all this giving up of status and power, giving up of my desire to control some of my life circumstances, or even giving up the pride to think I could do a good job of it if He allowed me any power. This stuff about being willing to be wronged and turn around and provide an opportunity to be wronged again probably wouldn’t have ever made my top 100 list. I think I might’ve had a sword and an triumphant earthly destiny if I’d had to come up with my own plan, even if I’d had to choose which religion to embrace based on those sorts of concerns.
LikeLiked by 2 people
insanitybytes22 said:
Ha! WordPress is out to get me the past few days. Spammed my own comment 🙂
I just wanted to say that you make a really good point about the rather misguided idea that anyone would choose faith to become comfortable or to make one happy.
CS Lewis once said, “I didn’t go to religion to make me happy. I always knew a bottle of Port would do that. If you want a religion to make you feel really comfortable, I certainly don’t recommend Christianity.”
LikeLiked by 3 people
dawnlizjones said:
“Unfit to wield vengeance”–what a great way to put it!
LikeLiked by 1 person
insanitybytes22 said:
Yes! That’s a great statement.:-)
LikeLiked by 2 people
Squid said:
I love this so much! I even wrote down your steps on a Post-it Note (minus, of course, the marriage one… Not quite there yet! :P) so that I will see it during the day and refresh my outlook.
LikeLiked by 3 people
lovetotsy said:
Once, on my way from Germany, I was bumped up to First Class. The older gentleman didn’t want me next to him, was a mean ole grouch and we hadn’t taken off yet. Well, when he goes to put his bag in the overhead, as he reached up, and me being in the aisle seat, his pants fell down right in front of me. I could’ve laughed out loud to further humiliate him. To do that would’ve been spiteful but I didn’t crack a smile. He sat his cantankerous ole self down with a smile and was real nice from then on. Sometimes Karma is swift and it’s nice when you don’t have to say a word or lift a finger.
LikeLiked by 1 person
insanitybytes22 said:
Ha! What a great story! Very funny. I like to say, God takes care of His own. Sometimes He does too, when our hearts are in the right place.
LikeLiked by 1 person
TT said:
Spite and bitterness….always have to watch that myself. 😦
LikeLiked by 2 people
insanitybytes22 said:
LOL! Yes,me too.
LikeLike
dawnlizjones said:
Wow, what a great take on it! Retweeted!
LikeLike
janjoy52 said:
Great warfare strategies! Definitely crying out “reblog”! Glad to accommodate!
LikeLiked by 1 person
insanitybytes22 said:
Thank you, much appreciated.
LikeLike
Tricia said:
Very well said IB.
LikeLike
Terra said:
Amen. This was powerful. I pray that many get what you are saying and allow it to be beneficial in the lives. As long as we have the Lord on our side fighting for us all things are possible in Christ Jesus. God bless you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Pastor Randy said:
Great words. One is very important to the Kingdom if the Enemy is after them hard. One ought to be worried if they don’t think the enemy is after them–it means they aren’t harming him! Be blessed!
LikeLiked by 1 person