My Success and Shield

Walk blameless in Him

He holds success in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless. -Proverbs 2:7 

May 02, 2013 

By Aida Cooper 

I have pondered this…especially in recent days; it was one to chew on for a while.

I know from personal experience that as Christians, we want to lean by default on the side of living for God will  bring me good things.

If anyone has had a relationship with Jesus for any length of years like me; at 27 years now; we have most likely learned that is often time not the case.

However; HE is not about  worst things or martyrdom for His children either!
Good News! 

A powerful statement by one of my favorite, modern day prophets said this, “God is not interested in our comfort He is interested in our Glory.”

I have never forgotten that statement. Although not a bible verse, I have hidden it in my heart. And the Holy Spirit has been good to allow me to vomit it when I have needed it most….so that I could chew on it some more.  Yeah, sounds gross! But that is what the experience in those moments have felt like. Bitter Sweet often times. Since I wanted to stay in my place and moment of self-pity and woes me, in other words….”give me a break, God!”
I have found that God's love always breaks through….and sometimes in these kind of gross moments when we want to sulk, and  be a bratty child.
For me, it seems HE picks me up off the floor of my temper tantrum, sometimes pulling me by the legs as he takes me for a ride  on his shoulders to a place where HE and I can visit for a while.

And then it’s always so wonderful and extravagant to sit with my Daddy and to hear His heart for me and the ones I had a problem with or who had hurt me; done me wrong. Unfortunately, those pains most times have been from members of my own family: blood or the Church. Sad and hard to get through, absolutely; yet God has shared with me lovingly and dealt with me in the same way. 

Success for the upright is more than just being “good”, following the golden rules, memorizing verses and going to Church to me. In my past I have done all of that and still felt far from success. In fact, I probably do less of those things now and feel more successful in life than ever!

UPRIGHT is a stance we take to trust God to cling to HIM even in our bodies.

I picture a soldier, standing upright in the face of his enemy. Unafraid. Willing to lay down his life. He has placed his body and his spirit in a position of unmovable devotion and service to the ONE he serves. He takes that stance even to the point of losing a limb, or worse yet death.

How is that soldier successful for taking that stance if he comes home with out his arms? How is he successful if he doesn’t come home at all?

Most would think it such a loss. Be saddened and brokenhearted that he lost his life.

I am reminded of the battles I have fought. They bring me to the place where I find myself standing today. A single mother living pay  check to pay check and sometimes having to borrow from my Mama. Living on the smallest house on the block, driving a car that is 18 yrs old and working at a job that still doesn't feel like my dream job….and yet I feel so successful when I contemplate the redeeming work God has done in my life….and the extravagant love I have discovered in the heat of my own fiery furnace.

The second part of this verse, HE is a shield  to those whose walk is blameless…AH! That is the key and the winning trophy that we get to call our own…more so than the success that HE has in store for us for taking a stand for HIM through it all.

IN it all….whether in the fire of our journeys or as we sprint towards the finish line having finished without scars, wounds or injury the power of our lives and faith is KNOWING that we walk with an invisible shield at all times.

That ultimately although wounded in the battle, the Shield of our faith is God. Nothing can ever really harm us or leave us feeling lifeless forever. we are unpenetrable from the vices of our enemies. God is a shield about us. We are able to keep our joy in this journey through our faith in Him. 

So death or failure where is your sting?! ….

For those Christians tired of appearances and games of nonsense, those ready to love as Jesus showed on the cross…an everyday kneel at the cross is our place of success and it is our greatest shield.