The Dark Side

O.K., I have this dream every once in awhile. I'm a wrestler, not high school, but like the pro guys, all dressed up and in costume. Anyway in most of these dreams I vanquish my opponent and in the spiritual I guess I made some kind of break through. Ephesians 6:12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Last night however, first I slept through my match and then after getting a second chance I looked in the mirror and BEHOLD I was the bad guy!
They say he wrestles with his demon, or he has demons to deal with, but many times maybe it's us who just choose to do the wrong thing. I'm not saying this makes us horrible I'm just saying that is what makes us human, fallible, and in need of help. King David said "Please Lord don't let the people fall because of my actions". I also need to say that. Paul, who wrote most of the New Testament told people to imitate him as he imitated Christ. See Paul was taught as a Pharisee, a very strict interpretation of the law, if you messed up, you're out! Most of us were just raised by good parents doing the best they could. Paul was raised under strict standards that made it easier for him to do right most of the time. I used to want to be a Pastor, have a great church and teach people about Christ, then I read James. He warns us that not many should want to be teachers of Gods Laws because they receive a stricter judgment! Not me man, I need GRACE and Lots of it! If every Christian acted like I do a lot of the time, well...lets just say peaceful, gentle and self controlled are not what comes to mind. We do have Gods amazing grace though. And I think I'll bank on that, trust that Christ died for my bad attitude, temperament and self indulgence. Oh, I'll keep working on the areas of weakness I need to, but I gotta do most of that praying for help in those areas. And when the Dark Side comes out, I just hope nobody thinks the worst of my Lord for my mistakes, I'm just a child of God in training.
Oh and by the way, I read on MSN that it's dump your jerk week, so I gotta run and get my beautiful wife flowers! Maybe she'll hold off one more year!
God Bless!
Mitch