Love from the center of who you are; don't fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle. Don't burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don't quit in hard times; pray all the harder.
Romans 12:9-12 The Message
Practice playing second fiddle? Okay, confession time. I've been angry for most of a week…at the same person. I think I get over it and he comes back a little later and does the same thing or something in the same vein, and I'm angry all over again. I haven't hit him, I didn't swear. I didn't throw anything. I didn't yell or scream.
I've been patting myself on the back, thinking, 'What a good girl am I' because I didn't hit him, I didn't cuss. I didn't throw anything. I didn't yell or scream. Pitiful… Pathetic... PA – THET – IC! 'Ick' being the operative sound there. I was thinking that I was being angry and not sinning…after all, I was right and I knew I was right. Self-righteous, filthy rags. Isaiah 64:6, But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags…
Do I want to be right or do I want to be in right-standing with God? Our text for today reads a little differently in the King James. Verse 10 reads, Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another... There was no way my actions could even remotely be misconstrued as preferring one another in honor...
James 3:17-18 reads ...the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
Right or Righteousness? And as my heart is convicted within me...
Father,
Forgive me, O God, according to Your Word in 1st John 1:9, that if we confess our sins, You are faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. The only thing I have to be right about is being right with You. Help me, Father. In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen
Showing posts with label wrong. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wrong. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 12, 2019
Saturday, June 9, 2018
More Than > Less Than
Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
Romans 8:37 NKJV
What is the first word to come to your mind when you make a mistake or forget something? What is your perception of yourself as a human being - Is your focus on strengths first or weaknesses?
I have noticed that generally, the first word out of someone's mouth when they make a mistake or forget something is one of three in their self-talk: Dummy. Stupid. Idiot. On top of that, self-perception usually focuses on inadequacies, flaws, weaknesses. Bottom line. We're human. We have all of those and often it makes us feel 'less than'.
Although, if we're purposefully following Christ, our identity should be in Him. However, I can count on one hand the number of people I know who can look in a mirror and see the 'fearfully and wonderfully made' person in their reflection. (King David, Psalm 139:14)
It's perfectly okay to be honest with ourselves about our weaknesses, as long as we recognize and walk in the grace of God and His love which enable us to overcome. But in being that honest about weaknesses, let's not buy into the subtleties of the enemy of our soul whose goal it is to keep our focus on our 'less thans'. Remember, he wants to kill, steal and destroy our lives and purpose.
The point I want to make is this - let's be sure when we experience those weaknesses that we remember (or seek out) the Truths that are written in His Word. For starters - in our weakness, God is strength (see 2nd Corinthians 12). (If you want/need more examples, Google "We say God says".)
If God is in it, we will win it! He makes us more than our less thans... because He is.
Prayer:
Father,
Thank You for making provision for our every need - spiritual, physical, financial. Your love is overwhelming and overwhelmingly good. Teach us to trust You in ALL things and help us to get our Truths from Your Word only. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen
Romans 8:37 NKJV
What is the first word to come to your mind when you make a mistake or forget something? What is your perception of yourself as a human being - Is your focus on strengths first or weaknesses?
I have noticed that generally, the first word out of someone's mouth when they make a mistake or forget something is one of three in their self-talk: Dummy. Stupid. Idiot. On top of that, self-perception usually focuses on inadequacies, flaws, weaknesses. Bottom line. We're human. We have all of those and often it makes us feel 'less than'.
Although, if we're purposefully following Christ, our identity should be in Him. However, I can count on one hand the number of people I know who can look in a mirror and see the 'fearfully and wonderfully made' person in their reflection. (King David, Psalm 139:14)
It's perfectly okay to be honest with ourselves about our weaknesses, as long as we recognize and walk in the grace of God and His love which enable us to overcome. But in being that honest about weaknesses, let's not buy into the subtleties of the enemy of our soul whose goal it is to keep our focus on our 'less thans'. Remember, he wants to kill, steal and destroy our lives and purpose.
The point I want to make is this - let's be sure when we experience those weaknesses that we remember (or seek out) the Truths that are written in His Word. For starters - in our weakness, God is strength (see 2nd Corinthians 12). (If you want/need more examples, Google "We say God says".)
If God is in it, we will win it! He makes us more than our less thans... because He is.
Prayer:
Father,
Thank You for making provision for our every need - spiritual, physical, financial. Your love is overwhelming and overwhelmingly good. Teach us to trust You in ALL things and help us to get our Truths from Your Word only. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen
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