Running Ahead of God?

 

According to John 14:21, we express love for Jesus by obeying His commands. To love Him wholeheartedly, we must develop a lifestyle of obedience. Let's look at four aspects of such a lifestyle.

1. Our trust in the Father grows. This confidence comes from believing that the Lord is who Scripture says He is. And God's Word tells us that He is good----as well as faithful to keep His promises (2 Cordinthians 1:20). Psalms 86:15 calls Him merciful, gracious, loving, and slow to anger. His character remains unchanged by difficult or hard-to-understand circumstances (Hebrews 13:8).

2. We develop a deepening ability to wait on the Lord. Delays can be hard in our I-want-it-now culture. But we must resist temptation and wait on Him instead of running ahead.

3. We commit to obey God. Without such a resolve, we'll vacillate at decision time or allow fear or culture to prevent us from choosing His way.

4. Our study of Scripture becomes consistent. The Bible reveals God's priorities, commands, and warnings. It acts as a light, illuminating His chosen path for us while revealing obstacles and dangers along the way (Psalms 119:105). Without it, we are like a person who walks in the woods at night without a flashlight.

Becoming a Christian doesn't mean that obedience to the Lord is automatic. It's a lifelong process of growing in our trust and patiently waiting on Him before we act. This requires a steadfast commitment to obey so that we can say no to ungoldly choices and yes to God.

Obedience to the Word does not mean we are obedient to what we choose to believe. We must first make sure our hearts don't get hardened, and we become dismissive of the Word of God by not believing in all of His Word. We must not allow the culture of today's world to influence and distort the Word of God. Today we have family members with unrepentant hearts that have succumb to the world's disregard for God's word. We now live in a world where God's word is distorted and manipulated to accommodate the sin of choice this world offers. That does not mean we don't love that family member. It is bibical to share hard truths with others. However, we must "speak the truth in love" Ephesians 4:15. The best way we can show love is to share with them the truth of God's word. We need to share the love and gospel of Jesus Christ. "In your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope you have. But do this with gentleness and respect" (1 Peter 3:15). We speak God's truth because of His love and in a way that clearly and unapologetically communicates both truth and love ( 1 John 4:10-12). We need to let a family member know that they are loved and prayed for, but we never approve of their sin or sharing in it in any way.

Christians are not strangers to hardship. But in order to obey God's word, we must take up our cross and follow him, no matter how hard ti gets. Matthew 16:24.

We need to be obedient to God's word not ithe world's view. We need God's glory to be shown to all the people with whom we come in contact. It is not about us. It is always about Him. God is the one we must never offend.

Let us not run ahead of God, but follow His word in obedience.

Your word is a lamp to my feed and a light for my path. (Psalm 119:105)

Praying and Scripture

****Please remember the Bible teaches us to administer correction wisely and always with love as the principal motive...always using scripture in correct context, and truth.

If we live in fear of offending a family member or friend, we don't love them as Christ loves us. Jesus says, "Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. Therefore be zealous and repent." (Revelation 3:19).

Jesus says "I correct and punish those whom I love. So be eager to do right, repent, and change your hearts and lives."

Ask God to change your heart to reflect more of His glory and less of your desire for your glory. Ask Him for His strength to help you let go. Ask Him to replace your desire for that sin with a desire for more of Him.

Romans 7:15-19 and 6:12-18. Remember, it is NOT through your own work that you can be freed from whatever holds you captive. It is not by our own power. It is by His power that we can be freed from our slavery to sin.

Idols are anything in life you put BEFORE God. Pulling down idols in our lives is never easy, so don't expect it to be. However, as you allow Him to refine your heart, my prayer is that you will find freedom in Him as He shows you that you don't have to carry this burden any longer.

Let us not run ahead of God, but follow His word in obedience.