My Rusty Armor

Last Monday, I had a paper due for my psychology class on a book that we were suppose to read. I totally forgot about it, so I quick read 2 chapters of the book, there were only probably 6 chapters at the most so it was a small book. Basically it was about a knight who was kind and good, and he had very shiny armor. He eventually became very proud of his armor so much that he never took it off. He didn't take it off for so long that it became rusted to him. We were suppose to write about what our rusty armor was and how it inhibits our personal growth. The following is the paper I wrote.

I believe my armor, is my fleshly nature. It gets in the way of every aspect of my spiritual walk with the Lord. I would not be who I am today without my spiritual walk, and my fleshly nature tends to rise up and beckon me to come back to my old ways and habits. Satan and the flesh work hand in hand and can be a strong force, but my God is bigger and mightier than both of them working together. By HIS grace I can overcome. In this day and age, Satan’s tactics can be so easily enticing. When my armor does get in the way, I have to take a step back, look at the situation, and ask God to help me to overcome my temptation. I was 16 when I gave my heart the Lord, and I’m not sure how I lived without Him before. I lived in such sin and darkness and my life was a slave unto sin. It was then when I had fallen so low and didn’t know what else I could that Jesus called me by his mercy. I knew what I had to do, and I was willing. The next morning after I was called, Satan really told me that everything I had just done was a dream so I put off my calling. It was about a month later when I actually realized that I could not do it on my own, and that is when I fully surrendered my heart to God and His service. One way that my armor can get in the way of my personal or spiritual growth is by fear. I always fear new changes. This year especially has been full of different changes. I had a lot of friends get married, which is a big change when they have to move away and are in a different town or state. Another big change was graduating from high school. I was hoping to just get a job and not go to college, but that was not God’s plan for my life. I was fearful of not knowing what to do, and college absolutely terrified me. I tried everything I could to get out of college, but it was not meant to be. I didn’t know what was wrong with me, because all of my other friends were so excited to go to college.  That was really my flesh and Satan rising up and telling me I was the only one, and putting thoughts in my head of all the things that could go wrong. I finally had to rise above my fleshly nature by God’s grace on the first day of school. I have loved everyday of college thus far, and it goes to show that God’s ways are better than ours, and we have to get rid of our fleshly, rusty armor to let Him work in our lives. It was after I was getting into the routine of school that I started worrying again how I was going to pay off my college tuition, considering all I did was clean for 2 hours on the weekend.  It was in mid-September that I got a call from the bank that I had applied at earlier in the summer. They said they were looking for a part-time employee at their Peoria branch. They asked if I could come into and interview and I accepted quickly. My interview lasted probably less than 5 minutes, because they knew they wanted me.  I started working a few days after that, and it was been such a blessing working there. It really goes to show that we don’t have a clue what is best for us. I really had never seen myself working at a bank, especially since that was my sister’s dream job and we have complete opposite personalities. Really learning to trust in God’s will and timing can be a very difficult thing, because my fleshly nature really thinks it knows what is best for me. I must daily commit my will unto God’s will and ask Him to take away my fleshly desires. I must also ask Him to truly humble me so that I may be submissive to His will. It can be so hard to trust Him, especially now since there are so many changes at this stage of life and not a lot of time to make decisions. My flesh constantly rises up with in me and nearly overpowers me, but God truly is mightier than it, and can calm the storm within me. I only need to ask.

So this was my paper, very last minute(I didn't do it until the day it was due.) and surprisingly, I got a 100% on it. I was pretty nervous about turning it in, because I wasn't sure how my professor would react to it and if she would be mad, because it was a spiritual paper. I was wrong. Right underneath my grade, this is what my professor wrote. 

Good work, Lynelle! I appreciated your openness and honesty to look at some of these issues regarding life and faith. Certainly fear inhibits both areas! Self-awareness and faith in God are always keys to change. I think you have identified areas for growth and gained some good insights. I am confident that these lessons and insights will help you as you continue to journey along this lifelong

path towards your truest self! 

So then one day, she told us that she worked at the Antioch Group which is a christian counseling group. So then I was curious, so I looked up the Antioch Group and it a bios about the different counselors, so I read hers, and come to find out, she was a missionary also. So I pretty much have the best psychology professor ever. I am pretty blessed to have her, because some of my friends don't have very good professor. So once again, God has blessed me so much more than I deserve and all I can do it praise and thanks Him. May you shine your godly lights this week!