Isaiah 41:10 "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."
My son and I are watching a 2015 BBC production called Jekyll and Hyde. It is a one season series, and it is very well done indeed. The lead actor does not actually have a physical change when he changes between the two characters; he instead mainly uses his voice, physicality, and facial expression. I must say his performance is extremely effective and compelling. The story, of course, has a classic "man against man" theme and the eternal struggle of good vs. evil. Although we are only halfway through, I would highly recommend it.
After watching an episode today, I got to thinking about how we all have a little Jekyll and Hyde in us. I know I sure do. There is the me that knows I should concentrate on "whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable..." (Philippians 4:8), and sometimes I succeed. Then there are times when, sadly, I don't. I may not go full-out Hyde, but I can get ornery and crabby. I can be demanding and, unfortunately, let the evil one push my buttons. That never ends well. The truth is, I do not have to drink a potion to have the "not so nice" part of me come out. No, I just have to take my eyes off of Jesus, and then the destroyer does the rest. The interesting part is that, although I also do not undergo a physical change like the classic Hyde character does, my voice and body language do, like in the series. Unkind words definitely sound different than loving ones when I speak them. Anger or frustration changes the look in my eyes and on my face. Body language also reveals when I am not concentrating on those attributes that the Bible tells me to.
I know for sure that when I am walking in the light, love, and grace of my Savior, and concentrating on His will and way for my life, my Jekyll side is firmly in place. This is because I feel a Holy Spirit tap leading me and guiding me. My Hyde side, unfortunately, is always waiting in the shadows for the exact moment I take my focus off of Jesus. The only antidote is to turn once again to God and seek His forgiveness and strength. A relationship with Jesus IS the antidote.
I am, as always, a work in progress.
1 comment:
We all have within us a Jekyll and Hyde and I love the analogy Lehann.
We all have the person who seeks God, trusts the Lord, and does his work effectively.
But sadly, because of our humanity, we also have the person who can easily lose patience, be lead astray, and is sometimes self focused. When those moments come, recognizing them is important. Seeking God's forgiveness and mercy is important. How many times did he forgive David? And look how he used him?
We are all works in progress Lehann but your self effacing honesty is admirable as so many will never call themselves to task.
Stay the path my dear sister and God will meet you there =)
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