The True Enemy

In performing R&D for this blog, I read some internet material about the seemingly-elusive "gentle and quiet spirit."  In doing so, I ran across a blog that was dedicated to helping women acquire a gentle and quiet spirit despite runny noses, piled up dishes, and laundry that just won't end.  And I thought, "Great!"  But as I read, I was disappointed.

The blog post talked about how to get rid of those "robbers" of the gentle and quiet spirit.  It suggested that a woman identify the areas in her daily life that often ruin her gentle and quiet spirit and then eliminate them.  Certainly with laundry that was under control, a structure to the children's day, and a myriad of other self-improvements, a woman could maintain a gentle and quiet spirit.

Of course, this assumes that the Enemy is the minutiae of daily living.  But for the infuriating things about our days, we would be good to go.  It assumes that we possess a gentle and quiet spirit that sometimes flees in the wake of tough circumstances.

I am living proof that this is just not true.  My "default" is definitely not gentle and quiet.  In fact, but for the grace of Christ, I would never even desire to be gentle or quiet in spirit, much less attain this goal.  The Enemy, you see, is me.  Not my circumstances.

Also, the blog post really missed the point.  The point is not to gain a perfect life so that we may be at peace--this would be a vain effort.  We are promised difficult circumstances as believers.  The point, rather, is to acquire a gentle and quiet spirit so that we can endure and even grow in the middle of those difficult circumstances. 

What I need is not a self-help plan.  I need grace to believe that, even when the days are hard, my God is great and nothing--not even an infant with persistent ear infections--can separate me from His love.