Fighting Your Battles

  Do you ever feel like you fight the same battle over and over again?  Maybe you struggle with gossiping or anger; maybe it's a particular thought pattern or bad habit; maybe it's laziness or procrastination.  I read a thought provoking quote by Margaret Thatcher today.  It said, "You may have to fight a battle more than once to win it."  (As taken from Girls With Swords by Lisa Bevere)
How true this statement is, and yet so often we get frustrated with ourselves and beat ourselves up when we are challenged time and again.
  Facing the same struggle does not mean you are a failure.  It just means your journey isn't over yet.   Are you growing and progressing?  Maybe you chose not to gossip 8 out of 20 times this week.  You can look at it as failing 12 times or succeeding 8 times.  If you choose to focus on the battles you've won, then you can keep moving forward.  Don't keep score of your failures and shortcomings.  Just work at being better each day.  If you have a habit of complaining, try setting a timer on your phone for one hour and committing to not complaining during that time.  When the hour is up, set it again.  Does this mean you will never complain again in your life?  I doubt it.  I don't think even the most spiritual person can go his or her whole life without complaining.  That is a battle you may fight daily, or hourly, or by the second.  Just know that each battle is a chance to win a victory and move farther along on your path to spiritual and personal maturity.  The great thing about life and about our God is that "His mercies […] are new every morning."  (Lamentations 2:22-23)  God will never give up on you, and He will keep working on you everyday of your life to bring you closer to who you were made to be.  (Philippians 1:6)
  Whatever struggle you are facing right now, know that it is a new day and a new week, and there are new opportunities for you to win the battle you are fighting.  Keep pressing forward and take new ground this week.  Make it an awesome Monday!  I can't wait to see you succeed!

~K.W.