"Working" in the Spirit
"sacrifice is beautiful \ it decimates my preservation"- manchild
Recently, I've been gaining back some ground in my battle with my image management.
I remember sitting in a large church service years ago and a man went up during an alter call... for healing I think. I clearly, as if it were yesterday, can still hear the preacher yelling that "this man has just been delivered from the opinions of other people!" Wow, I thought, that would be cool. I guess I wasn't in the path of the Spirit that night because I have to experience that.
Not that I deny these experiences of the Holy Spirit...healings, tongues, prophecy etc, but my experience is that God is more concerned with a deeper, inner work in our lives. Sure, God could take away all the struggle at once but Jesus taught that we would have trouble in the world. Jesus talks about taking up our crosses and not being able to love your father and mother more than Him, that is far from instant deliverance. Even in the Old Testament we hear God saying, I will walk with you in the flames and floods of life. Don't get me wrong, if God wills to do an outward miracle, I'm all for it I just can't live seeking a sign. He lives IN me, so He's always at work.
The power of God happens in the soul and inner being of a person. The real miracle happens when someone is "born again" when the spirit is regenerated and the soul becomes "alive"! People begin to change their attitudes and beliefs and their will confirms to God's will and they soon desire what He desires. They have a personal relationship with Jesus and He knows them and they know Him. That’s the power of God, salvation.
Back to my image management, I cannot wait around to be "delivered" from the thoughts of others. I must act! God has given me his Word and I need to fill my mind with Truth from Him. I need to act despite my feelings, its when I do this that God walks with me through those moments when I may not speak up or may be too concerned with others thoughts of me. It takes work to change but the One who changes is inside me, molding and shaping, I need to allow this to happen.
This is the molding and shaping that lasts, it’s harder, but the change is stronger than if one is just "delivered" from something. This applies to all aspects of my life! (God is more concerned about our character then our comfort)
We are called to sacrifice and obedience to Him but those do not come naturally for us.
How then shall we live?.....
The Holy Spirit is at work but it takes work to let Him work.
posted by tone614 | 8:00 AM
5 Comments:
This post has been removed by the author.
"God is more concerned about our character than our comfort."
AMEN!!
Hello. This post is likeable, and your blog is very interesting, congratulations :-). I will add in my blogroll =). If possible gives a last there on my blog, it is about the OLED, I hope you enjoy. The address is http://oled-brasil.blogspot.com. A hug.
Here's a thought...maybe sometimes believers really are delivered from something, it just takes time to learn how to live in freedom. You know, like the movie Shawshank Redemption, when Red (Morgan Freeman) got out on parole. He was instituionalized and couldn't adjust to living outside the prison walls, even thought of suicide. But then Red remembered the hope of his friend's (Tim Robbin's) promise to come join him in Mexico. Although, technically Red was a free man, it was this hope, like our faith in Christ, that made it possible for Red to realize the freedom he had and allowed him to act as a free man. I feel like sometimes Jesus says we are free, but we do not believe him. Or since we do not feel free, we decide that we aren't. So, with little faith, we continue are lives as prisoners. Or something like that...
p.s. I love it when I use "are" when I really mean "our".
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home