There are so many fundamentals we need
to continuously monitor as Christians. It is so easy to become complacent and
before long we will start to sink into the “slough of despond”. But what really
presses home this morning is how often I make bad choices that lead me to the
edge of the miry swamp that get me to feed off unbelief…
It’s not as if I am being persecuted
per say and been physically stoned for my faith, as others were. That would be
suffering for the sake of righteousness and with these types of acts God is
well pleased. When I suffer because of my own stupidity then who is to blame? I
have thrashed this particular drum for a long time now, and thankfully over
time, because we have the Spirit of Christ in us we will learn to see our
errors the way we should. It will take a lifetime, but God is rich in mercy and
long-suffering towards His children, blessed be His name! His investment in those
whom He has called and those whom He has chosen to fly the Christian flag will
bring Him glory once the process has run its course and of this I am sure. The
Lord Jesus Christ has completed the work, blessed be His name now and forever
more!
On reflection at this stage of my
Christian walk I am still aware of how volatile I can be at times and yet I see
the merciful work of God in my life as He exposes the rot and shows me Christ.
I have a responsibility to my Christian family to expose my mistakes so that
you do not have to make the same mistakes over and over again. It is fruitless
and brings with it a lot of hurt.
What is God teaching me?
God
works in the realm of the unseen, hence the just shall live by faith. We all have the
written Word, the Bible to guide us along the way. We also have the Spirit of
God in us that pricks our conscience and drives us towards His righteousness.
But we still house all this beauty in an earthen vessel; our carnal minds drive
us from God and not toward Him. Here is the Apostle Paul’s take on the subject;
“For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the
flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things
of the Spirit. For to set
the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.
For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to
God's law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” (Romans 8:5-8) – Therefore when I or any of us try
to juggle the flesh and its passions whilst walking in the Spirit, it will
always have the same result. Zero growth and idolatry dictating the way we
live. Our priorities will become clearly evident to all those around us, this
is what is meant by the Lords quote concerning our commitment, “You shall know
a tree by its fruit”.
If
I am staring to learn correctly, then I must live by faith. I cannot claim to
live by faith and then chase money as if there’s no tomorrow. It is a very
simple lesson to understand but quite another to implement. But apply it we
must if we are to live life peacefully before our God and Father. Put anything
above God and we are living hostilely toward Him. Idolatry has then become a
way of life and when we get it wrong it will result in misery. God will never
share His glory with another, for there is no one like Him in perfection and we
must learn to trust Him.
Take
the snippet from Carte Blanc the other night with that slaughter of the Pilot
whales. It caused uproar but there was no mention of God the creator, mankind
worshipping the creature (God’s creation) at the expense of giving God homage. Do
you see the error, just like a magician with sleight of hand misleading people?
Obvious Idolatry at play and yet it seems to be such a worthy cause. Now there
are many idols that captivate our energy throughout any given day. Money is
first on that list, we understand that without money we will never survive and
therefore we drive hard trying to build bigger barns. It is impossible to
divide our energies whilst we determine to go to church and even serve in the
church if we are driven by money. We must confess our error and seek out God’s
forgiveness. We must be consumed with the God of our salvation, He is so worthy
of that commitment, God help us to be consumed with this idea. We must be
totally committed to Him. This is the ultimate lesson for all the Christians
throughout the world. God first in every area of our lives, and this is easy to
test. What is the first thing you do in the morning, take that thought into
every minute of every day and then what do we end the day doing before we go to
bed?
I
am not for one minute suggesting that I have this worked out, but this changes
me and not the truth. We must learn to walk the way our forefathers walked and
that is to live by faith in every area of our lives.
Do
not be deceived into thinking that God will condone our unbelief. I understand
that He is patient with us and that He is willing to teach us this valuable
lesson over a lifetime but the sooner this becomes our reality the happy we
shall be with peace an overarching phenomenon in our lives.
Thank
you Father for your patience with me, but please renew a right spirit in me so
that my life will become a living testament of your grace and mercy.
Signing
off
Tyrone
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