A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

Ephesians 6:10-12

Dear God, when I read this passage this morning it reminded me of a line in the Hunger Games: Catching Fire when they told the main character to “remember who the real enemy is” while she is in the arena. In this case, the real enemy isn’t the people she is fighting in the arena, but the person (the system) who put her in the arena. That makes the strategy from moment to moment different. That calls for a totally different calculus.

In our case, the one who put me here (you) is not my enemy, but there are forces unseen who want my destruction. If none of that were true and all of reality was what I can interpret with my five senses then the calculus would be to achieve everything I can for myself and for those I love. However, that is not the reality. The reality is that none of this is about me. It’s all about you and the more I give of myself–the more I die to myself and take up your cross–the happier I am.

I read through an article today about a hospice chaplain who was sharing the top three regrets people had at the end of their lives. Here they are:

1. I did not live the life of my dreams.
2. I did not share my love.
3. I did not forgive.

While Satan might want us to focus on the first one and have us look back on our lives with regrets in not chasing down all of our personal dreams, I believe it is part of how you designed us that leads to the second two. You didn’t tell us to love our neighbor as we love ourselves because you need us to, but because it is what is best for us and how we are built. You didn’t say we should pray that you would forgive us as we forgive others because you were holding your forgiveness hostage, but because you know we need to extend forgiveness in order to live.

Father, help me to see what is of you in this world and what is of Satan. I know I believe his lies all of the time. I believe them because I want them to be true. I want to be able to indulge my selfishness. I want to be able to chase my own dreams and protect what I have. I want so many things for myself. But You didn’t design me that way. You designed me to worship you and love others. That’s how my life is complete. Help me to live that complete life.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen