Remember the author of our book saying mask wearer's are often judgmental and critical ? I struggle with that character defect so much and at the same time I also struggle with loving others who have that defect. So there you are, the problem. Still the solving of the problem is not simple. Quite a few blogs back I pictured myself talking to other Elder Brother types who also wanted to stop being like that. The experience of the Elder Brother's in my own life haunt me, and then here am I doing the same as them. Was it Elijah who cried out,
"I am no better than my fore-fathers." It is a grieving awareness, however the godly sorrow I feel brings me hope. This sin is forgivable, it is forgiven. The hope I have, is it being cleansed from my life. The faith I have in God's Word tells me that Jesus overcame all temptations so that I could resist them. Question 5 talks about listening to your guilt and Question 6 talks about when you have been hurt by someone else's sin. It must be an immaturity in me that wants to shout out to God, "make him stop sinning, I am sinning because he is sinning !" Of course I know that is silly ! I know to God it is no funny thing ! I just see how foolish my flesh is. What hope I have is , that the confession of my sin is forgiven and He promises to cleanse me of all unrighteousness. The Word washes us and we are promised , being transformed by the renewing of our minds. Speaking of our minds , I am reminded that I had decided that II Corth 10:5 was not a typographical error in the Bible. That if it said, we can take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, then we must be able to. I have experienced victory in my life in the area of anger. How I came to have this victory was that I learned to understand the thoughts that were prompting the feeling. The feeling of course produced the anger, and I was told recently ,you can stop it there. However, I like my way. I learned to renew my mind with different thoughts, actually true thoughts about similar events that seemed to always produce anger. Now , when those things happen I am not angry but at peace because I know the TRUTH . There are still events that seem to trigger anger but they do not seem to happen often enough for me to get to the root thought. Thus , my friends exhortation "that it is a choice, you can choose not to be angry and line up with God's word. " I do not seem to be able to choose how not to feel. I can choose what to think. The judgmental ,critical attitude that comes , even when I do not want it to, must be akin to anger. It to must have a root thought that needs to be exposed and brought to the light. The light being Truth. Like I found with the anger producing thoughts, they were lies. Not based on the truth at all. Jesus surely will help me come to the Truth. I can boldly ask Him for that.
posted by Diane B at
1:58 AM
0 comment(s):
Post a comment
<< Home