Trouble in Paradise

The trouble started when the serpent said to Eve, "Did God really say...?" That doubt the devil raised in Eve's mind is still there and has caused many people to doubt God's goodness and His word.

I have a similar problem to Eve. Satan comes at me with, "Did God really mean...?"
I can be so adept at twisting God's word so that it just misses convicting me by using that one little question. I know what he said, but did he mean it literally? Does Jesus really want ust to cut off our hand and gouge out my eye so that I stop sinning? Surely this must be figurative. So I allow myself to change it so that I don't cut off my hand. Phew! But sadly I don't get rid of the sin either! So now I don't do anything right.

I have been struggling with Matthew 5:38-42. Do I resist an evil person? My sense (notice it is MY sense) of justice says no one does an evil thing to me and gets away with it. But why do I react that way? What right do I have to say I am better or of more value to God than anyone else? Better than the evil person I resist? Do I turn the other cheek? When someone sues me for my tunic do I give him my cloak as well? Where are my rights?

This is where the struggle begins. We wrongly claim to have our rights. But we gave those rights to Jesus years ago. But are we slowly been taking them back. I asked Jesus to live in me and take control of my life and I sincerely meant it but now I somehow want to renege on my promises. After opening my heart to Him am I now looking for a way to close it to Him again. I must let go of me and hang on to Jesus. I must find a way to willingly go the second mile after being forced to go the first. I have to do this to be free of me. Then I will just be in Him!

Yes! Jesus really did say it! Now I really must do it!