The Enemy is Within

Daily Devotional – Wednesday, April 19, 2023
And a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.
Matthew 10:36 (NKJV)

While addressing His disciples on the consequences of receiving Him and the ensuing persecution, Jesus made this profound statement: “And a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.” (Matthew 10:36). Christ was addressing the stark divisions and conflicts that would arise between Christians and non-Christians and that would lead to betrayal among family members.

Stop Blaming Others

In this statement, we also find a fundamental principle of life. Just as the enemies of a person could be found within that individual’s household, the reasons we fail to reach our potential in life are within ourselves. In essence, instead of blaming others for our mistakes and failures, we should look within ourselves.

Adam and Eve played the blame game when they sinned in Eden, thus transmitting this harmful virus to us, as it were. Whenever we fail, we tend to look for reasons in every other place except in ourselves. There is always someone to blame, but just as it was with our first parents, no amount of blame will change a negative situation to make it good.

The Enemy is Within

If we looked closely within ourselves, we would realize that lack of self-discipline, for example, is our undoing. There is a high likelihood that we are not good timekeepers and do not adhere to deadlines. Perhaps our communication in the workplace is lacking, and that is why we miss promotions.

Similarly, if we looked within ourselves, we would realize that we create our enemies by mistreating other people. Perhaps we are the cause of those broken relationships because of our failure to listen, lack of empathy, and reluctance to forgive. Critical self-examination would reveal that we are the architects of the problems we suffer. The enemy is within, and that is you.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, help me identify my weaknesses and overcome them.