Tuesday, July 24, 2007
walk in love | aller en amour
"Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.
And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." - Ephesians 4:31 - 5:2
When God speaks, I've come to learn it's best to listen and respond in obedience, regardless the outcome. The reason is simple; for the sake of continued fellowship with the Lord, continued direction from the Spirit. Just one footstep in the flesh and you'll start to lose sight of Him till He isn't there anymore. Thankfully He weighs the heart and if we continue to seek Him when He can't be found we're given the second chance to set things right with Him. The moment you humble yourself and repent is the moment He exalts you up to the place where His joy is restored. What a gracious God!
Sometimes the natural mind stubbornly wants to hold on to preconceived mindsets and just can't accept the Word of God to deal with the issue in my heart. But the quiet conviction of the Spirit has more persuasive power than any number of reasons put together. It's what keeps my heart supple and ready to be molded by God. This time I'm really facing a big obstacle, but I see the hand of God move and it's amazingly working out for the good of ALL who love Him. Not just for me. He's caused me to see the chain reaction that can happen when I start to walk in the flesh. I can't lead worship with His anointing, and that'd easily affect 35 ppl. I can't be at peace with my friends nor enjoy their companionship, I can't disciple with conviction, I can't hear His voice during lessons. And that'd easily affect my whole sphere of influence. That's bad stewardship! God forbid that! I'd rather forgive and seek forgiveness than risk making a mess out of my life.
Mantou at 9:53 PM