Catalyst Track: Kill the Spider // Day One
Carlos Whittaker
This week’s 3-day track comes from the book, Kill the Spider, written by Carlos Whittaker.
This was the lie. This was the spider.
The spider is the lie that spins the cobweb.
The cobweb is the medicator that offers false comfort through the lie.
As you start searching for your spiders, it’s gonna take some work. It is. There is Scripture that helps us understand this. Paul is talking to the church of Philippi when he tells them, “I am able to do all things through him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13 CSB).
In this 3-day track, Carlos challenges us to look for the ‘spiders’ in our life. He explains that the best way to truly defeat your spiders is through prayer.
Whether you may realize it or not, we are all guilty of selfish intentions. By shifting our intentions, we can act more sincerely for others. Take the next few days to recognize ways in which your intentions are misaligned and use your relationship with God to mend those areas.
DAY 1: Identifying the Symptoms
Sometimes, on some issues, we operate in grey areas, but the majority of us have no trouble discerning the difference between right and wrong. There is something deep inside a human being that allows us to differentiate good and bad. We intrinsically know because we all have the fabric of the King of Kings woven inside of us..
So why is it that we cannot freaking stop doing bad?
Why is it that yesterday, when driving past that homeless man, I knew in my heart I should have talked to him, but I didn’t? Why is it that when my wife drove up with a minivan filled with groceries that needed to be carried in, I sat on my phone watching a show?
The struggle is real.
But the struggle isn’t always massive. Wanting to watch another episode of Stranger Things on my iPhone instead of helping Heather with the groceries isn’t a massive moral failure, but it is a selfish choice.
The answer lies in Romans (8:1–2, 11 CSB):
Therefore, no condemnation now exists for
those in Christ Jesus, because the Spirit’s law of
life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law
of sin and of death. . . . And if the Spirit of Him
who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, then
He who raised Christ from the dead will also bring
your mortal bodies to life through His Spirit who
lives in you.
And my translation: Gaze at God. Glance at life. That’s it. We are all going to have this battle raging inside of our hearts. We are all going to have to face this battle between flesh and spirit on a daily basis. But instead of staring straight into the face of flesh, look up. Stare up. Gaze up. When you do that, “He who raised Christ from the dead will also bring your mortal bodies to life through His Spirit who lives in you.”
REFLECTION: Answer the poll below.
How often do you pause to recognize your own selfishness?
A. I always reflect on my intentions
B. I only reflect on my intentions when someone else brings it to my attention
C. I don’t reflect enough on my intentions
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