Common Sense – faults

I need this reminder often, how about you?

It’s good to be able to recognize our faults, but if we stop there, we can get stuck in sin, and one of two things can happen, depending on our personality, circumstances, and habits; Either we become despondent and down on ourselves, stuck in pessimism that we know we are at fault, but “this is just the way we are”, and change is impossible, or we become apathetic, tune out the cognitive disonance that happens inside our spirit (which is at war with our flesh), convince our conscience that it doesn’t matter, God understands (stepping back from the bolt of lightening!), and keep on doing what satisfies our natural man instead of addressing and repenting of sin and walking in the Spirit.

There are those who have convinced themselves that it’s not really “them” sinning, but it’s the sin that lives in them.  Their conscience is so seared, that they believe , honestly believe that since they “can’t help themselves”, God’s grace covers them while they continue to choose to disobey God’s Holy Word.  These attitudes keep a person in bondage to their sin, instead of realizing and appropriating REAL grace, they make grace of God completely ineffective.

This ought not to be!  We are a NEW creation, old things are passed away, and all things have become new.  Why do we go dig up that old man and put those grave clothes back on?  ICK.

To grow in self-awareness and strength, (which, in my opinion, we are in the perfect season for doing so!) we must not only “see” our faults, but “see to it” that they are addressed, and with the help of the Holy Spirit, corrected, so that we can live a happy and victorious life in the Spirit.  This reminds me of the story of two dogs fighting, one dog represents our fleshly desires, the other our spiritual desires.  Two dogs fighting against one another, the flesh warring against the spirit.  Which one wins?  The one you feed.  If you are feeding your spirit, you are going to become spiritually strong.  If you make a habit of sinning against God, doing what pleases you instead of what you know pleases God, you will become spiritually weak, and your flesh will destroy your spirit.  Don’t be a hypocrite and believe that you can have both.  Just because you can quote Scripture, or have a compassionate heart for others, or have the ability to discern sin in others, if you are not taking care of your own spirit man, you are in the process of dying spiritually.  God’s grace is ineffective over willfull, continued disobedience.

Common Sense – Less of me

This is the perfect reminder for me, at a perfect time.  I love how God does that.

Have you ever been misread?  Misheard?  Misunderstood?  What is it about being wrongly accused that makes me wince from the pain, doubled over like I’ve been slugged in the gut?

Pride.

…and not just any pride, but the spiritual kind…the kind that envisions myself in a very different light than what others are perceiving in me…and it hurts…my pride…to think that I am not all that, like I thought I might have been…like I was trying to be.

And the funny thing is, I’m usually more thick-skinned than that.  Criticism usually just rolls off, but this time, it hurt me…to think that I was not showing Jesus to others.

I was in Mass on Sunday, and I was pouring out my heart to God.  How I desire for Jesus to live in and through me.  It is my deepest longing to show Jesus to others by my choices, my attitude, my heart-cries.

Lord, I want you to be in me, and shine through me, so that others will see you…and it humbles me to hear that is not the case.

Wanna know what He said to me?  I heard him, plain as day:

Find yourself in Me, Lyn.  

Focus on remaining in Me, and let me worry about who I reveal myself to.

Wow.

I was so worried about showing Jesus to others, I had missed the point that I cannot bear any fruit, unless I am found in Him.

It’s not about what others see, it’s all about being FOUND in Him…by Him…for His glory, not my own.

I can’t tell you how freeing this thought has been for me.

Lord, let me be found in You.  Reveal your will to me, and welcome me into the life beat of Your heart.  Empty me of my spiritual pride, and fill me with Your Holy Presence.  Give me Your thoughts, guide me in Your paths, teach me Your ways.