I am a Minister. 2 Corinthians 3:6 by Susan L.

  "Who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life." NKJV
  "He (Jesus) has enabled us to be ministers of his new covenant. This is a covenant not of written laws, but of the spirit. The old written covenant ends in death; but under the new covenant, the Spirit gives life." JCB

  Following yesterday's post, I continued to Triple T (Think Things Through) the concept of needing to give myself permission to be happy. The Lord revealed a fear of being happy and contented that is, was, also part of this.
  During moments of good cheer and laughter that was not his own, invariably, my ex would announce an Irish expression.
  "After laughter comes the tears." Or he'd put a twist on it, "With joy comes sorrow." It means the same thing. It used to make me cringe with fear about how bad it was going to get "this time".
  It's also got me thinking about the power of "innocent" words, those culturally accepted colloquialisms, because this declaration proved true over and over again.
  I bear him no malice for this, at least since I walked a path of forgiving him at around three-thirty this morning. I also repented of believing this lie and asked the Lord to forgive me for it as He revealed the layers where fear had wormed its way into my own behaviours, ideas and choices.
  
  The expression has twisted the Word of the Lord because He says, "Crying may last for a night but joy comes in the morning." Psalm 30:5
  But isn't that what the devil loves to do? Twist truth? Turn things like my ex's oft spoken expression into a curse? Ever the legalist, he is delighted when ungodly beliefs are cemented into the subconscious.
  It's why the letter kills.
 
  I was blessed with an eager desire to set up my little Christmas tree yesterday. Up until then, it only seemed to be a fruitless bother requiring energy I didn't have. The excuses had poured out...no one will be here...it's just me...I'll only have to put it all away. (Thank You, Lord, for helping me rise above the depression that was clouding my heart and soul.)
   Once the Nativity Scene was carefully placed beneath it's plastic boughs and the shining cross was attached at the top, I mused on these emblems of faith and came to the grateful conclusion that, in Christ, I am free indeed!