How do I know it's the good fight?

So often we find ourselves in a battle where we are fighting. Most of those fights aren't worth fighting because we always forget the scripture. Ephesians 6:12

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realm. 

So often we find ourselves arguing with each other over small things, and sometimes large things, for what? To be right? I've heard it said many times before. "How many souls have been won by your arguing or fighting?" We are constantly being watched. Eyes everywhere. And when we fight amongst ourselves it puts a sour taste in anyones mouth. We always hear people say fight the good fight. But what is the good fight? Fights that are fought outside of emotions thats for starters. 

But I read a book a few years ago that completely floored me. And it completely changed my perspective. It was Good or God by John Bevere. It as hard to read but so worth the push for me to read it. He wrapped up this concept of maybe that which seems good, isn't from God. And he made extremely convincing remarks which has made me change my view on many things.

I want to take that concept one step further today and change it around a bit. And give you examples. 

Good verses God.

I remember growing up saying, "God is good all the time. And all the time God is good." So to read a concept saying that something that was good wasn't from God was hard to head. I never in my life imagined that something that was good didn't come from God. As I read through this book, that took me a whole week to chew on, I started to realize that sometimes things that seem good are not from God. If we jump back to the beginning we see Eve. *Sorry ladies* We see the snake telling her IF you eat the fruit surely you won't die but your eyes will be opened and you will know good and evil. Totally a trust statement from our ol' jerk Satan. Knowledge is good. But that knowledge wasn't something that God wanted Adam and Eve to have. 

James tells us that if we desire wisdom to ask and not doubt. Eve, in her curiosity, jumped at the opportunity to be wise. She could have asked. But she didn't. The knowledge wasn't bad. But the way she went about getting it was. I really don't want to use the example in the book because it took me 3 days to process that. And maybe that's a little far fetched. But it wasn't the right way to go about it. Thus letting sin into the world and pain of child bearing..... grrr.

That which is good, and Godly, but not for you.

I'm not saying ALL THINGS. I'm saying some things. And by some things, I mean church. Let me be clear I am not saying that you don't have to go to church. The word tells us that we are to not forsake the assembling together. There are so many benefits to people gathering together in a church settings. I won't even touch on that because that's a blog all in itself. But sometimes, God calls us away from one location to another. And even though the church may be centered around Christ, spreading the gospel, and disciplining people. Maybe that isn't where God needs you. 

I can name one specific occasion where I was called from one church to another. It was hard. I didn't want to leave what I knew, my comfort, my childhood, to go somewhere else. But I knew that was what God wanted. And I knew that God was moving in the church that I was in. But I needed to go somewhere else. And there wasn't anything wrong with that. I'm not saying that I didn't like the worship and decided that I wanted to go somewhere else. No. That's wrong. I was being called away. It was hard, as I said. And it hurt. Leaving your comfort zone isn't easy.

How do I know what is God and what is good AND God?

Seek and ye shall find. Scripture. Prayer. Seek council. The word of God is an amazing source if we would just pick it up and look at it. Apply it. Satan is crafty, this we know. And he knows the Bible just as good as the angels. Because he was an angel. We have to test EVERYTHING against scripture. And we have to seek God's will in all things. It's not easy walking the path of Christs calling for us. Especially when things SEEM good but they aren't. It's like wearing a mask. You may SEEM okay when inside you are not. Keep praying. Keep seeking. Keep reading. And above all things, test everything with scripture.