Small Victories

There is something I have done recently, nothing that was wrong as far as what the actual deed was. I am not going to go into any details at all about what that deed was but it was not something for which I would have to get on my knees and ask forgiveness. At least not the deed itself.

My issue came in the attitude with which I did said deed. I did this harmless deed with malice in my heart against a Christian brother. He would not have ever known that it was done that way. No one would... except God and myself. The deed itself may have been completely harmless, but my attitude about why I did it was not and that is what I have need of forgiveness about.

Well, today I was presented with the exact same circumstances to do this totally harmless deed again... and I didn't. Even though there would be nothing wrong with it (technically), I knew that it would be done with the same malice and I refrained from doing it again.

I praised and thanked God for the small victory. Externally no one would ever know the internal battle over this small, insignificant, silly deed. But I defeated the malice and avoided acting with hatred toward my Christian brother and it was simply because "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13