Monday's Blessing
Revelation 3:19
"Those who I (dearly and tenderly) love, tell their faults and conviction and convenience and reprove and chasten (I discipline them). So be enthusiastic in earnest and burning with zeal and repent in changing your mind and attitude."
I can't stand to be wrong.
I think that is one phrase many of us can agree upon. After all, being wrong brings discordance, condescending looks from those who acknowledged, and disharmony with a master plan.
Yet, our Dear Father views conviction, correction, and discipline as something to be celebrated rather than something to make us sad or frustrated. Why should we celebrate when God shows us that something is wrong with us? Joy sounds like a strange response, but the fact we can see something that we were once blind is good news.
For many years of my life I had to be right. My younger brothers and sisters remind me of that often. Somehow that still has a huge impact on their life and their views have not easily changed. I'm sure I was rude, insensitive, and selfish at this time. I'm sure I possibly didn't know it at the time. I was just seeing my strategies as helpful.
Of course my mind did not see the pride that had caused me to think that way. I just assumed it was the right way to get through to people. I'm sure deep inside I was greedy, envious, and jealous, but I did not see any of it. That is a sad condition to be in but people who have no relationship with Jesus and who do not study God's Word are blind and deaf in the spiritual sense. I had the relationship with Jesus, but I did not study God's plan.
There was a lot going on in my life. I was harboring bitterness then. When our hearts are hard, they are not sensitive to the touch of God. When He convicts us, we don't feel it. Therefore, when we make enough progress in our relationship with God then we begin to sense when we are doing something wrong, that is good news. It is a sign of progress and should be celebrated with joy.
The longer we serve God and study His ways, the more sensitive we become. We eventually grow to a place where we know immediately if we are saying or doing something that is not pleasing to Him. It is then we have the option of repenting and making a fresh start.
How do you respond when the Holy Spirit convict you that you're doing something wrong? Do you feel bad - guilty - frustrated - angry? Or, do you realize that the very fact that you can feel God's conviction is good news? If so, you are alive to God and growing spiritually.
This Week's Meditation:
Teach me to grow spiritually when You correct me.
Pray:
Help me to realize that being wrong is not a burden.
Teach me to realize in a world that is chaotic I need to start fresh some days.
Remind me to pray about this everyday, Lord.
Meditate on this for several minutes a day. Allow various thoughts to come into your mind. And realize God has you in his arms always.
Revelation 3:19
"Those who I (dearly and tenderly) love, tell their faults and conviction and convenience and reprove and chasten (I discipline them). So be enthusiastic in earnest and burning with zeal and repent in changing your mind and attitude."
I can't stand to be wrong.
I think that is one phrase many of us can agree upon. After all, being wrong brings discordance, condescending looks from those who acknowledged, and disharmony with a master plan.
Yet, our Dear Father views conviction, correction, and discipline as something to be celebrated rather than something to make us sad or frustrated. Why should we celebrate when God shows us that something is wrong with us? Joy sounds like a strange response, but the fact we can see something that we were once blind is good news.
For many years of my life I had to be right. My younger brothers and sisters remind me of that often. Somehow that still has a huge impact on their life and their views have not easily changed. I'm sure I was rude, insensitive, and selfish at this time. I'm sure I possibly didn't know it at the time. I was just seeing my strategies as helpful.
Of course my mind did not see the pride that had caused me to think that way. I just assumed it was the right way to get through to people. I'm sure deep inside I was greedy, envious, and jealous, but I did not see any of it. That is a sad condition to be in but people who have no relationship with Jesus and who do not study God's Word are blind and deaf in the spiritual sense. I had the relationship with Jesus, but I did not study God's plan.
There was a lot going on in my life. I was harboring bitterness then. When our hearts are hard, they are not sensitive to the touch of God. When He convicts us, we don't feel it. Therefore, when we make enough progress in our relationship with God then we begin to sense when we are doing something wrong, that is good news. It is a sign of progress and should be celebrated with joy.
The longer we serve God and study His ways, the more sensitive we become. We eventually grow to a place where we know immediately if we are saying or doing something that is not pleasing to Him. It is then we have the option of repenting and making a fresh start.
How do you respond when the Holy Spirit convict you that you're doing something wrong? Do you feel bad - guilty - frustrated - angry? Or, do you realize that the very fact that you can feel God's conviction is good news? If so, you are alive to God and growing spiritually.
This Week's Meditation:
Teach me to grow spiritually when You correct me.
Pray:
Help me to realize that being wrong is not a burden.
Teach me to realize in a world that is chaotic I need to start fresh some days.
Remind me to pray about this everyday, Lord.
Meditate on this for several minutes a day. Allow various thoughts to come into your mind. And realize God has you in his arms always.
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