A Word From Brenda
~Letting Go And Moving On~How easy to see the problem in someone elses life, and not be aware of it in our own. We look at others and say things like...."She just needs to do this", or "If he would only just.." when God is most wanting us to examine our own hearts. I was having coffee with some friends of mine a couple of weeks ago. God used a conversation we were having to show me something about my own life. At first we talked about salvation and how each one of us had come to be born-again! Then we talked about the rapture...our church services..future plans of what God is doing in our lives. It really is good to fellowship with brothers and sisters in the Lord. I shared with them that there is someone whom I have been praying for and asked them to please pray too. It's not that this person isn't saved, or doesn't know the Lord, or even about what His word says....but this person is missing out on so much that the Lord has for each of us. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentlenes, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections (passions) and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. There is a Joy and a Peace in serving the Lord, even in times of trial. There is a Love for the things of the Lord, and a sense of purpose, knowing that each day we walk through, we don't walk alone...but God walk's with us, using each circumstance to accomplish His will. We also know that ALL things work together for our good. It's a relationship that I prayed for in this person. I could see, by my own experience, that if they would only let go of these things in there past, that God would then move them into the plan that He has for them, and would begin to bless them. But, there needed to be a letting go of those things first in order to take hold of the Lords hand and move forward. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam (log) out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote (sliver) out of thy brother's eye. That night, during our worship service, I was reminded of the words I had said, and also of some prayers and promises that I had made to the Lord. How I have prayed that God will use me in this life..." All of You Lord, and none of me". I was reminded of a time when God placed a call on my life, and I said "yes Lord, I want to serve you". Now I find myself hanging on to this life...to all that I know and is comfortable. Not wanting to let go...and move forward. We can all sit around, pointing out the obvious bad things that would hold a person back. But what about the good things? I speak to you, as believers, to look into your own lives. What about when God calls you to a place of ministry that is unfamilliar to you? Here, you have family...church family, christian friends, jobs, homes, you've put down roots...and now God is asking you (like Abraham and Sarah) to pick up your tent and start walking! We can see that we are going to pass through that valley and cross over those mountains..but then what? Where are you leading us to, God? I can't see that far ahead!!??!!! Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. The need I could see in my friends life is real. It is also real in my own life. Until we are ready to let go of those things that seem so important to us (even the good things) God cannot fully bring us into that place of blessing and promise. "collective writings" |