Inside of me there is a traitor
But I punish my body and make him my slave, so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be reproved (1 Corinthians 9:27)
In our journey to glory there is no greater enemy than ourselves.
We blame everything and everyone around us, but deep down we know we should have been stronger, more patient, more determined, more persistent, more consecrated.
We do not resist until the blood fighting against the sin (Hebrews 12.4), we do not punish our body to reduce it to the servitude (1 Corinthians 9.27).
Our own domain is still very fragile and so we are always doing what we do not want and failing to do what we crave.
Our first battle in the great war of salvation begins within us.
It is not Goliath our greatest problem, not even our brothers Eliabes who want to discourage us.
It is our own heart that, divided, weakens us to the other battles.
Beat this.
When you want to scream, shut up and mute when you want to offend.
When you do not want to pray, pray and when you do not want to read the Word (Bible), read.
Fast, even at the urge to eat.
Resist the urge to speak what you should not.
Do not wait for the flow of will in your favor.
Swim against It when necessary. Decide to forgive when the grudge knocks on the door.
Choose to continue when you want to quit.
Get involved when your soul wants to isolate itself.
Quiet the uncontrollable of your inner world.
Trust when anxiety strikes.
Praise when your will is to weep and murmur.
Rise, walk, do and do when sloth wants to dominate.
Say no to your will when you know you will regret it.
When certain fights arrive, so does the desire to flee.
Do not run away.
Stay, against all possibility. There is always a moment when our desire is to give up.
Do not give up. Stay in spite of the pain.
Resisting is painful, but the result is perennial joy.
Fight.
Fight against yourself.
Not only in big things, but in small ones as well.
Great victories are preceded by small ones.
Wars are not won, only battles, which add up to the final triumph.
Only by being your biggest opponent can you be more than a winner.