How does a Steward face difficulties?

As a young Steward, I learned to handle difficulties in my life through anger, regret, crying, ranting, and accusation.  Not very good stewardship of life realities.  I tried to "be happy" and ignore things, plus my favorite...apply the Christian virtues of long suffering, patience, forgiveness etc.  I compromised, took the guilt, control, and manipulation in attacking any threat to my happiness and well-being.

Many of these things worked for a while, but all that came home to roost as the enemy seemed impervious to my schemes.  It all blew up when I had to come to grips with the truth that the enemy had taken up residence in my family through addictions.  The Truth could no longer be explained away or  compromised and so I finally went to Alanon and began to learn what I was up against .  The greatest break through was discovering how the enemy had captured me in the co-dependent lifestyle which had me in chains as much as the addictions had my family members.

Facing truth - realities - and the barren scope of a problem is difficult for a Christian who wants as a good steward who applies Biblical promises and commands.  We want to see our lives through these lenses and ignore what we are up against.  "Speaking the truth in love" I believe is the greatest faith act there is because it is recognition that things are messed up in "Christian-land"  and our Christian testimony is left hanging.  If we told the raw truth, we are not sure if God can handle the explosion that we had carefully wrapped up in our "trying harder".

I experienced three separate lives this weekend that were so entangled in Satan's snares as to seem hopeless.  The roots went deep into their history and patterns of decisions and emotions swirled around them like storm clouds and lightening.  I had no answers.  Yet, as we talked and prayed together recognizing we were the chosen ones, beloved of the Father and clean in our spirit because of the Cross and Filling of the Holy Spirit, the enemy was exposed in his schemes within and without.  I left each one without knowing the answers to their dilemmas and discouraged about my stewardship of life-answers.  However, in facing the truth together in its bold faced reality, God was able to intervene on their behalf and within 24 hours they were calling with new found joy and answers.  Silly me.  I had forgotten how powerful the Master is when we look both at reality and the Word.