An Instrument by Susan L.

  I am an instrument of righteousness. Romans 6:13
  "And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God." NKJV
  "Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God." JCB

  For anyone who is visiting this site for the first time, I have been working my way through a list of three hundred affirmations given to me in the spring following a retreat. Originally, five affirmations were to be read each day to my reflection in the mirror. The purpose was to speak life into my own life. However, I decided to blog about each one. Taking a year to do so. And I am glad to have made that decision because it has given me a chance to explore and better understand the meaning of the assigned scriptures.
  I am also thankful to have the two Bibles that further provide insight and knowledge because sometimes the older version, the New King James Version, is as clear as mud! The New Living Translation, or Jesus Centred Bible, has helped tremendously in understanding the teachings of Jesus.
 
  The human body consists of 206 bones, as many as 806 muscles, water, and 12 organs. Five of those organs are crucial to our survival. Then there is the non-quantifiable such as our soul, spirit, mind, thoughts, ideas, personality, emotions, experiences and memories.
  So, how can I take this incredible feat of creation and use it for righteousness?
  I think it's important to keep in mind as followers of Jesus, we are life bearers freed from death. If any of our actions, thoughts or words go against that, it means sin still has a grip.

  Hmmm. There's many places in my own life where this is true. There's one particular muscle that seems to trip me up on a regular basis: my tongue.
  Why is that?

  Because the non-quantifiable keeps getting in the way. Particularly the emotions, experiences and memories that came before this moment in time.
  How do I rise above these things?
  I can't. At least, on my own I can't.
  I can make better choices.

  In writing this, I realized how much bad feeling there is towards my own body. It's hard for me to find compassion when, through no fault of my own, the anxiety gets revved up. Even though I understand that the emotional trauma associated with PTSD causes real and measurable brain damage, it is frustrating.
  Lord, I know You will empower me to rise above all this. I know You already have in many ways. I give thanks for this vessel of my soul. Let me use it to glorify You in everything I do. In Jesus' name I pray. AMEN!