*Listening to: “A Closer Walk” by Fred Hammond*
I’m at work right now, but just about everything I need to do involves printing, and I can’t because the “toner-man” is here fixing our copy machine (which Meka and I tend to use as our main printer, and even though we have about 3 other printers in the office, we just like that one better because it’s big and because it took us forever to actually convince Pastor that we NEEDED one and that he should consider it an investment instead of an expense…) but anyhoo, I need to print and I can’t, so I’m going to blog instead!
For most of my life, there has been this ISSUE that has been rather trying for me ( I wanted to say “this year”, but the Holy Spirit is saying that it has certainly been more than just a year that I’ve had this issue… perhaps I’m just acknowledging it as a problem now…) but, as I was saying, I’m having a hard time with something.
I know that God’s Word tells us that He reigns on the just and the unjust (meaning that He blesses people who know and love Him, and He also blesses those who don’t)….
I also know that there are certain “conditional promises” of God that apply to anyone who meets the condition, whether they’re a true believer, a luke-warm/carnal Christian, or an atheist… things like the law of sowing and reaping…
And I also know that the reality of life is this: what goes on with other people is really none of my business unless the Lord is showing me something so that I can pray for them or give them a word of encouragement.
But there are certain people in my life… I just don’t get how they get to do what they do… sometimes I look at God, and I’m like, “HELLOOO? Do You see what I see??? Why are You giving them that?! Shouldn’t they be wallowing in a pig pen somewhere? You know, being sorry for their terrible behavior and awful bad habits??? Aren’t You going to DO something about this?”
But then I’m reminded of the fact that, honestly, none of us are perfect. The truth is, I have things in my own life; thought patterns, habits, that I need to get rid of… and yet I see God’s mercy extended to ME again and again… so why am I trying to cut someone else out of the grace club?
ON THE OTHER HAND…
I still don’t think that this means that I have to condone everything that other people do. And I’m still going to make it my business to tell people what is right… and if they get tired of hearing my mouth and decide they’d rather not associate with me anymore, well then hey, I’ve done my job… I’ve planted the seeds, or watered them, or whatever – and I just have to trust that eventually God will give the increase.
One thing I am realizing though, in the process of understanding/accepting God’s methods of dealing with people, is that His Word applies to ME FIRST. I am saved… I am filled with the precious Spirit of God, and He has even been so gracious to put me in the place of ministry… I have a responsibility to sanctify MYSELF, to keep under my OWN body, to go on to perfection… that’s my job – to allow the Holy Spirit to do a work in ME – to checkMY prayer life, to maintain a daily quality time of devotion, to allow MYSELF to be held accountable, to work, to press, to strive.
And really, when it’s all said and done – when I’m standing before my Savior face to face – I’m not going to want to talk about my friends down here (or my enemies, for that matter), I’m not going to want to go on about why He let certain things happen while I was journeying through this life. All I want to hear is:
“Well done, thou GOOD and FAITHFUL SERVANT. Enter into the joy of the Lord.”
