Well I'll say this if there was anything I wanted to hide, I learn to hide it well. That goes for facebook, internet or anything else. I don't think of myself as hiding things, I just don't volunteer too much information. If you ask, I won't lie.... because I'm not good at it.
So this may seem like I'm switching subjects but I'm not really. Stay with me, it'll connect. Last week's daily Bible reading for those of you who have the One year Bible was in Job. I was watching Fred K. Price and he said something I'd never heard about Job.
When people would talk about Job they would say how he was tested and never cursed God through it all. Everything was taken from him, yet he still he endured and in the end he was restored.
Dr. Price said that Job let the devil do all that stuff to him. Through his confessions of his fears (Job 3:25) the devil knew he could do what he wanted to Job.
25 What I feared has come upon me;
what I dreaded has happened to me.
He grumbled and complained and took all the blame. What have I done to deserve this? Why is God doing this to me? God you are soveriegn so I will accept all that happens to me.
No, that wasn't God doing that to him. God said what you allow to happen, I will allow to happen ( Matt 16:19). He gave us (his children) authority over the Earth.
Dr. Price then went on to say that Job should have taken his rightful authority over the devil. You don't have to let the devil do anything in your life. He will bring tragedy into your life if you let him. And sometimes by doing nothing you let him rule. He doesn't have the power, you do. Not until Job repented was he restored.
How do know what to confess and what to keep? Well the Bible says confess your sins to one another so that you can be healed (James 5:16) but fear is not of God 2 Tim 1:17. The only one you should fear is God. And when the Bible says fear in reference in respect to God it doesn't mean be scared of, although you probably should...It means to humble yourself in the ultimate respect for God or to be in awe of God.
So, how does this relate to me? Well, I hate conflict. If there's anyway to avoid it, I will try. Even if that means hurting myself. So in a way that was a 'fear' of mine. But seems that these days conflict is coming from every which way. I used to combat it through avoidance, shutting up when I should speak, taking all the blame. How do I do it now? By taking a deep breath, looking at my circumstances and taking it head on before it comes at me in a crunk way.
When I was in my rebellion against God, I ignored all signs of trouble even though I could see it, so I ended up swimming in it. I would say I'm going with the flow, but Satan was controlling the flow. Now because of that, its harder for me to see the trouble coming, but I'm getting better at it. Soon my senses will be so sharp, I can see it coming without having to put my foot in it.
I can see my growth in this area. When I used to get into conflict with people I used to have to talk about it with everyone. I had to get their opinion and to make sure they agreed with me. In the end I was more upset than when I began. Now, I know why the conflict came, I'm confident in my point of view and there's no need to discuss it with everyone, only God.
When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 1 Cor. 13:11
When I was a child in Christ, I did childish things. Now I'm growing up and putting those things behind me.
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