God Afternoon Family,
I am amazed at how often I forget how utterly stupid I am without God. Of course I ought not be amazed...it is because I am stupid that I do forget I know nothing unless the Holy Spirit reveals it.
This past few weeks God has been dealing with me concerning my character. If you ever watch the show The Office you should be familiar with Dwight. He has a hunger for authority and doesn't mind intimidating people to get his way. He is arrogant, overbearing, and thinks more highly of himself than anyone should. I'm something like that...or at least I was.
Lately God has been dealing with me concerning the fruit of the Spirit, which I've never taken very seriously. When I think of fruit I tend to think in terms of numbers of people who I lead, work I've accomplished, sacrifice. This is where the stupid part comes in...I rarely think in terms of this scripture,
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. Gal 5:22-23 NKJV
I've been saved 14 years and it took all of it for God to get me to the place where I finally understand that the end does not justify the means. Bullying people to accomplish God's will is not God's will. I may get the job done but when I think in terms of reward loss somehow it takes the sweetness out of the success.
Let me explain. God desires that men fear him not one another. Therefore if I intimidate people into doing what I say, then they do what they do as unto me, not as unto the Lord. Because they obeyed me out of fear and not a sincere desire to honor God they lose their reward. The work was accomplished but the worker labored in vain.
I am a leader in God's kingdom. I take my responsiblity for God's people seriously. If I intimidate others into fearing me above God I have caused them to sin. I have sinned. This realization has caused me to pause in my walk with God.
Without love, joy, peace, patience, self-control, etc...I am a tree without fruit and good for nothing except to be cursed by God. I am a Pharisee, the blind leading the blind.
But yet God loves me and bore with me these past 14 years until I could understand. Therefore I refuse to waste time in regret. He didn't bring me this far to leave me now. It's His will that I go forward and He will lead the way. I've confessed my sin and now He will bless Me to live a life that brings honor to Him. It's fruitbearing time!
I'm not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don't get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I'm off and running, and I'm not turning back. Phil 3:13-14 (The Message)
Stay in prayer and in the Word!
Love in our Lord,
Lauren
