Thursday, October 20, 2011
Do More
Confess your sins, but do more than just confess – repent and turn away from IT.
Repent and turn from IT, but do more than that – show compassion for believers who still struggle with IT.
Show compassion for your fellow believers, but do more than that – pray for those believers to utilize the self-control God has afforded to them. Let them know that there is NO condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
*Note: You cannot pass JUDGMENT but call it ACCOUNTABILITY; people CONDEMN, the Holy Spirit CONVICTS – know YOUR role within the spiritual recovery cycle of the Kingdom.
Pray for those believers to utilize the self-control God has afforded to them, but do more than that. Pray for the sin to dissipate, pray for those believers to testify to other believers, atheists and the doubtful about how the Lord walked WITH them.
After prayer (the spiritual evaluation of the circumstance), THEN you move to the practical application of the Word.
*Note: Practical application of the WORD is not your interpretation of the Word. We do not need to sugarcoat or reduce the severity of its commands. It is a double-edged sword.
For example: God says “Do not grow weary in well-doing.” That means:
1. You WILL grow weary in well-doing
2. When you do grow weary, be of good courage; God is with you always.
So the best thing to do is pray about EVERYTHING, panic about NOTHING!
Can I remind you bro/sis that the word mentions that God takes care of the birds of the air and the animals of the land, so why should we PRAY & WORRY?
Did God not give MAN dominion over the WORLD?
So it is NOT that we lack authority or power to change, it is that we allow our PRIDE, IGNORANCE and IMMATURITY to weaken our position of influence.
God Bless!
Tamz Devotional Inspired by my fellow believers, the Word of God and the Holy Spirit
Sources: Matthew 6:1-34; Hebrews 4:12
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Monday, October 10, 2011
God PROMISED me the ABUNDANT LIFE – so WHY am I STRUGGLING?!
Being a young adult attempting to live this Christian life is a constant cycle of worship & response. God is great, I recognize a blessing, I vow to be a living sacrifice, I sin, I repent, God forgives & forgets…and the journey continues until the NEXT hiccup in my walk of faith.
From time to time, I get overwhelmed with emotions and begin to question my faith. Why me God? Why can’t I just STOP sinning? When will my struggle be over? How do I serve better, witness more effectively?
All these questions are asked on an ongoing basis…but this one – I don’t think I will fully understand its power or potential solution until I sit at His feet in the midst of His angels, completely detached from my flesh and able to experience His glory face-to-face.
Lord, why do I hafta wait on you to move when you know the urgency of my circumstance?
The title of this blog reads “God promised me the abundant life – so why am I struggling? Have you EVER asked this before? I think in every believer’s life, there comes a time when we STRUGGLE to WAIT on God to MOVE in our lives for a number of reasons (this is not an all-inclusive list):
1. We do not understand the purpose of our delay.
Because we do not UNDERSTAND God’s timing, we question it. Because we do not UNDERSTAND our role in God’s will, we question our faith. Because life appears harder than it is ‘supposed’ to be, we question the very presence of God. I’m not sure what book, chapter or verse we have to back this thought process up, but GOD NEVER SAID THAT HE WILL WAIT ON YOU TO UNDERSTAND BEFORE MOVING IN YOUR LIFE!
I remember sitting in “Experiencing God” and hearing the first principle: GOD IS ALWAYS AT WORK. I had already been a church-goer for years so this was well overdue but nevertheless profound. God is ALWAYS working on us and the world around us. Please receive this into your spirit. Although the seasons in your faith walk change, phase-out and transform, God’s purpose in your life DOES NOT CHANGE.
So instead of wondering WHY, allow the PEACE which surpasses all understanding to guide your thoughts and emotions. Alternatively, you can continue to set this DOUBLE-MINDED, ANXIETY-driven and HEAVY-burdened example to ALL of the believers AND non-believers watching you.
2. We confuse the Lord’s timing with our stopwatch.
Read Ecclesiastes 3:
Everything Has Its Time
1 To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven:
2 A time to be born, And a time to die;
A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted;
3 A time to kill, And a time to heal;
A time to break down, And a time to build up;
4 A time to weep, And a time to laugh;
A time to mourn, And a time to dance;
5 A time to cast away stones, And a time to gather stones;
A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing;
6 A time to gain, And a time to lose;
A time to keep, And a time to throw away;
7 A time to tear, And a time to sew;
A time to keep silence, And a time to speak;
8 A time to love, And a time to hate;
A time of war, And a time of peace.
3. We have allowed the circumstances in our lives to determine our faith instead of vice versa.
On the flip side, let’s be real about it. It’s VERY hard (nearly impossible) to explain to the IRS, your boss, your landlord, your children, your mate, and more importantly God on why you missed the deadlines set before you. However, we are not perfect and are constantly apologizing for unexcused absences in our daily relationships and responsibilities.
YET, God extends NEW mercies every day. We keep apologizing for our sins, always EXPECTING God to give us another chance to get it right, but how many chances do WE give God before we give up on Him altogether? Seriously, sit down and make a list of all the times GOD didn’t come through. On the other side of the paper, write down all the times we didn’t come through for God. Do NOT write down your logical or spiritual reasons for disappointing God, rebelling against His word, yielding to temptation and causing others to fall. I like to call this NO EXCUSES area of faith. So the next time you say, “God what’s taking so long?” think about how often God wonders the same about you. Like when will we UTILIZE our measure of faith? How much longer does He have to be with us before we trust Him? How many more goof-ups will it take before we understand that God expects for us to live a holy life, acceptable in His sight?
Sometimes we ask God for patience, but never mentally or spiritually condition our heart and mind to WAIT on Him. Before you pray, make sure that you are FIT for his response. Our petitions do not change God’s will – we shouldn’t want them to. Instead prayer changes our hearts and focus on God’s way vs. our way.
4. We are unable to discern between an unconditional and conditional promise of God.
I have been waiting to talk about this the whole BLOG…here goes!
HERE ARE SOME OF THE BLESSINGS OF GOD THAT WE CLAIM…
A. 7 “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. Matt 7 Amplified Bible
B. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. John 10 NLT
C. 28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. Romans 8 NKJV
D. 14-17Dear friends, do you think you'll get anywhere in this if you learn all the right words but never do anything? Does merely talking about faith indicate that a person really has it? For instance, you come upon an old friend dressed in rags and half-starved and say, "Good morning, friend! Be clothed in Christ! Be filled with the Holy Spirit!" and walk off without providing so much as a coat or a cup of soup—where does that get you? Isn't it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense? James 2 The Message
We often confuse all-inclusive promises available to the WORLD and the exclusive privileges related to the believers of Christ and doers of the Word. Let’s take a more in-depth look, shall we?
A. C H Spurgeon writes, Faith asks, hope seeks, and love knocks.
Tam says: To ask (pray) is to acknowledge that this is the only way to CHANGE the situation; this shows your faith in God. Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see (Hebrews 11:1 NLT). Love knocks on the door of God’s heart. Unless we have GOOGLED the Lord’s address, mustered up enough strength to get out of the car and walk to Him, how will we know if He is at home (present)? If you don’t trust God, it will show in how often you acknowledge that He is in control and has the FINAL SAY!
B. This passage of scripture is describing the kind of ABUNDANT LIFE that only the Lord’s sheep encounter. I was talking the other day with my sis Keena about the QUALIFICATIONs of a Christian. Spiritually, we know that salvation is free. Tithes, offering, membership dues, etc. are not required to gain salvation. No works or any action can ever EARN salvation; it is a gift from God that Jesus paid for with His life. Does that mean there aren’t any RULES to bear the name of a Christian, no! As mere humans, we foolishly attach a particular VALUE to objects and people based upon how much it COSTS us. So we take grace & mercy for granted because we didn’t WORK for it and certainly haven’t PAID for it.
Let’s flip it. Consider your car. You paid for it or someone else had to pay for it. Even if you didn’t pay for it, you more than likely are paying insurance, maintenance and licensing fees on it. Therefore, when someone asks, “Can I borrow your car” – we immediately begin to calculate the costs of the potential damage this individual could cause in the worst-case scenario. This cost-benefit analysis normally does not take long and almost always leads to the following response: NO!
Here’s the part that hurts my heart to consider. When someone asks us “Hey, do you want to sin with me” or “Can you step out on God just this ONE time” – we don’t hesitate. Most of the time it’s our flesh asking our spirit to STEP ASIDE, I GOT THIS! So we commit adultery with our sin and leave God hanging out to dry. We lack self-discipline and control, but always are the FIRST ones in line for God’s next blessing because “there’s gotta be one with MY name on it!”
C. Um…yeah. I love this scripture, don’t you? This tells me that no matter what HELL I go through, all my scars and bruises will be worth it in the end. The problem is that we often confuse the OUR stress with God’s struggles. God gave you a behaviorally-challenged child. You have allowed that child to worry you so much that you’ve picked up a habit of smoking. You get lung cancer, are able to fight it and BECAUSE God spared your life, you begin to minister to Smokers Anonymous groups across the world. Great job! But what if, instead of being a cancer survivor, you were supposed to be a Family Counselor or Youth Minister? So of course, God is gonna get His glory, but look at all the chaos you created once you decided that God was NOT the solution to your problem. Lord, I pray that we would seek you first GOD and consider you the ONLY option to “cope” with our circumstances and situations while we live on this Earth.
D. Enough said!
Related Sources:
“The Pursuit of Purpose” Myles Munroe
“What Is God Waiting For?” Marlinda Ireland
“Healing for Damaged Emotions” David A Seamands
“Balance: Living with Life’s Demands” Tracey L Henderson
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Romans 12:1-2 NKJV
“Listen to advice and accept discipline, and at the end you will be counted among the wise. Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.” Proverbs 19:20-21 NIV
6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4 NLT
18 Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. Romans 8 NLT
10 I praise God for what he has promised;
Yes, I praise the LORD for what he has promised Psalms 56 NLT
AMEN & GOD BLESS!
From time to time, I get overwhelmed with emotions and begin to question my faith. Why me God? Why can’t I just STOP sinning? When will my struggle be over? How do I serve better, witness more effectively?
All these questions are asked on an ongoing basis…but this one – I don’t think I will fully understand its power or potential solution until I sit at His feet in the midst of His angels, completely detached from my flesh and able to experience His glory face-to-face.
Lord, why do I hafta wait on you to move when you know the urgency of my circumstance?
The title of this blog reads “God promised me the abundant life – so why am I struggling? Have you EVER asked this before? I think in every believer’s life, there comes a time when we STRUGGLE to WAIT on God to MOVE in our lives for a number of reasons (this is not an all-inclusive list):
1. We do not understand the purpose of our delay.
Because we do not UNDERSTAND God’s timing, we question it. Because we do not UNDERSTAND our role in God’s will, we question our faith. Because life appears harder than it is ‘supposed’ to be, we question the very presence of God. I’m not sure what book, chapter or verse we have to back this thought process up, but GOD NEVER SAID THAT HE WILL WAIT ON YOU TO UNDERSTAND BEFORE MOVING IN YOUR LIFE!
I remember sitting in “Experiencing God” and hearing the first principle: GOD IS ALWAYS AT WORK. I had already been a church-goer for years so this was well overdue but nevertheless profound. God is ALWAYS working on us and the world around us. Please receive this into your spirit. Although the seasons in your faith walk change, phase-out and transform, God’s purpose in your life DOES NOT CHANGE.
So instead of wondering WHY, allow the PEACE which surpasses all understanding to guide your thoughts and emotions. Alternatively, you can continue to set this DOUBLE-MINDED, ANXIETY-driven and HEAVY-burdened example to ALL of the believers AND non-believers watching you.
2. We confuse the Lord’s timing with our stopwatch.
Read Ecclesiastes 3:
Everything Has Its Time
1 To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven:
2 A time to be born, And a time to die;
A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted;
3 A time to kill, And a time to heal;
A time to break down, And a time to build up;
4 A time to weep, And a time to laugh;
A time to mourn, And a time to dance;
5 A time to cast away stones, And a time to gather stones;
A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing;
6 A time to gain, And a time to lose;
A time to keep, And a time to throw away;
7 A time to tear, And a time to sew;
A time to keep silence, And a time to speak;
8 A time to love, And a time to hate;
A time of war, And a time of peace.
3. We have allowed the circumstances in our lives to determine our faith instead of vice versa.
On the flip side, let’s be real about it. It’s VERY hard (nearly impossible) to explain to the IRS, your boss, your landlord, your children, your mate, and more importantly God on why you missed the deadlines set before you. However, we are not perfect and are constantly apologizing for unexcused absences in our daily relationships and responsibilities.
YET, God extends NEW mercies every day. We keep apologizing for our sins, always EXPECTING God to give us another chance to get it right, but how many chances do WE give God before we give up on Him altogether? Seriously, sit down and make a list of all the times GOD didn’t come through. On the other side of the paper, write down all the times we didn’t come through for God. Do NOT write down your logical or spiritual reasons for disappointing God, rebelling against His word, yielding to temptation and causing others to fall. I like to call this NO EXCUSES area of faith. So the next time you say, “God what’s taking so long?” think about how often God wonders the same about you. Like when will we UTILIZE our measure of faith? How much longer does He have to be with us before we trust Him? How many more goof-ups will it take before we understand that God expects for us to live a holy life, acceptable in His sight?
Sometimes we ask God for patience, but never mentally or spiritually condition our heart and mind to WAIT on Him. Before you pray, make sure that you are FIT for his response. Our petitions do not change God’s will – we shouldn’t want them to. Instead prayer changes our hearts and focus on God’s way vs. our way.
4. We are unable to discern between an unconditional and conditional promise of God.
I have been waiting to talk about this the whole BLOG…here goes!
HERE ARE SOME OF THE BLESSINGS OF GOD THAT WE CLAIM…
A. 7 “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. Matt 7 Amplified Bible
B. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. John 10 NLT
C. 28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. Romans 8 NKJV
D. 14-17Dear friends, do you think you'll get anywhere in this if you learn all the right words but never do anything? Does merely talking about faith indicate that a person really has it? For instance, you come upon an old friend dressed in rags and half-starved and say, "Good morning, friend! Be clothed in Christ! Be filled with the Holy Spirit!" and walk off without providing so much as a coat or a cup of soup—where does that get you? Isn't it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense? James 2 The Message
We often confuse all-inclusive promises available to the WORLD and the exclusive privileges related to the believers of Christ and doers of the Word. Let’s take a more in-depth look, shall we?
A. C H Spurgeon writes, Faith asks, hope seeks, and love knocks.
Tam says: To ask (pray) is to acknowledge that this is the only way to CHANGE the situation; this shows your faith in God. Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see (Hebrews 11:1 NLT). Love knocks on the door of God’s heart. Unless we have GOOGLED the Lord’s address, mustered up enough strength to get out of the car and walk to Him, how will we know if He is at home (present)? If you don’t trust God, it will show in how often you acknowledge that He is in control and has the FINAL SAY!
B. This passage of scripture is describing the kind of ABUNDANT LIFE that only the Lord’s sheep encounter. I was talking the other day with my sis Keena about the QUALIFICATIONs of a Christian. Spiritually, we know that salvation is free. Tithes, offering, membership dues, etc. are not required to gain salvation. No works or any action can ever EARN salvation; it is a gift from God that Jesus paid for with His life. Does that mean there aren’t any RULES to bear the name of a Christian, no! As mere humans, we foolishly attach a particular VALUE to objects and people based upon how much it COSTS us. So we take grace & mercy for granted because we didn’t WORK for it and certainly haven’t PAID for it.
Let’s flip it. Consider your car. You paid for it or someone else had to pay for it. Even if you didn’t pay for it, you more than likely are paying insurance, maintenance and licensing fees on it. Therefore, when someone asks, “Can I borrow your car” – we immediately begin to calculate the costs of the potential damage this individual could cause in the worst-case scenario. This cost-benefit analysis normally does not take long and almost always leads to the following response: NO!
Here’s the part that hurts my heart to consider. When someone asks us “Hey, do you want to sin with me” or “Can you step out on God just this ONE time” – we don’t hesitate. Most of the time it’s our flesh asking our spirit to STEP ASIDE, I GOT THIS! So we commit adultery with our sin and leave God hanging out to dry. We lack self-discipline and control, but always are the FIRST ones in line for God’s next blessing because “there’s gotta be one with MY name on it!”
C. Um…yeah. I love this scripture, don’t you? This tells me that no matter what HELL I go through, all my scars and bruises will be worth it in the end. The problem is that we often confuse the OUR stress with God’s struggles. God gave you a behaviorally-challenged child. You have allowed that child to worry you so much that you’ve picked up a habit of smoking. You get lung cancer, are able to fight it and BECAUSE God spared your life, you begin to minister to Smokers Anonymous groups across the world. Great job! But what if, instead of being a cancer survivor, you were supposed to be a Family Counselor or Youth Minister? So of course, God is gonna get His glory, but look at all the chaos you created once you decided that God was NOT the solution to your problem. Lord, I pray that we would seek you first GOD and consider you the ONLY option to “cope” with our circumstances and situations while we live on this Earth.
D. Enough said!
Related Sources:
“The Pursuit of Purpose” Myles Munroe
“What Is God Waiting For?” Marlinda Ireland
“Healing for Damaged Emotions” David A Seamands
“Balance: Living with Life’s Demands” Tracey L Henderson
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Romans 12:1-2 NKJV
“Listen to advice and accept discipline, and at the end you will be counted among the wise. Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.” Proverbs 19:20-21 NIV
6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4 NLT
18 Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. Romans 8 NLT
10 I praise God for what he has promised;
Yes, I praise the LORD for what he has promised Psalms 56 NLT
AMEN & GOD BLESS!
Monday, October 3, 2011
THE CRITICAL EYE
We all can be critical. It’s been said that “you are your own worst enemy.”
I believe that because when I arise in the morning, one of the first things I do is go to my bathroom mirror.
During this time I slowly open my eyes as they adjust to the light. Then I take a quick glance in the vanity mirror. Why? Because I want to see HOW MY DAY IS GONNA GO; you see, during this quick 90 seconds or less I analysis my reflection:
EYES: Any dark circles, puffiness, redness, CRUST
FACE: Any dryness? Did I remove all the make-up from yesterday?
MOUTH: Are my lips cracked? Do I have any visible slobber residue?
*THESE ARE IMPT QUESTIONS! The answers dictate my morning…just wait and see!*
Anyone that knows me, knows that I am a “no-rush, no-fuss” kind of person. Meaning I attempt to make it on time, but I prioritize everything I do in the morning and if it means I show up 10-25 minutes late, so be it. I guess I would apologize for this tardiness, but I really INTEND to be on time EVERY morning…just doesn’t work out so well all the time.
Back to this CRITICAL EYE though. So I plug up the clothing iron and flat iron – I call these acts “daily preparation” because even though I have not picked out the day’s outfit or hairstyle, these gadgets are absolutely needed before I can walk out the door and need time to heat up. Okay, so let’s address the results of the morning’s analysis.
EYES: Depending on whether I actually LOOK tired vs. just feeling sleep–deprived, I have a few options.
1. I could hop in the shower and hopefully WAKE myself up.
2. I could do both #1 plus use my personal collection of Mary Kay eye make-up/eye care products.
*NOTE: I ALWAYS do #1; #2 is really for 1 of 3 purposes: #1 I want to look presentable for the day or #2 I have a Mary Kay meeting/event later today or #3 I need to COVER UP some trouble spots in random order.
FACE: Depending on the whether I had make-up on yesterday OR am having a rough day:
1. I could use my Mary Kay 3-In-1 Cleanser & Moisturizer, then analysis later.
2. I could use my Mary Kay Micro-dermabrasion Refine & Replenish Set.
3. I could do both #1 and #2 plus use my personal collection of Mary Kay make-up/skin care products.
*NOTE: I ALWAYS do #1; #2 is a weekly or bi-weekly routine; However, it really comes down to 1 of 3 reasons: #1 I want to look sassy, #2 I have a Mary Kay meeting/event later today or #3 I need to COVER UP some trouble spots in random order.
MOUTH: Depending on just the JACKED up-ness of these luscious lips AFTER washing my face and brushing my teeth I have a few options as well:
1. I could use my Mary Kay Satin Lip Set.
2. I could use some lip balm, lip suede, lip nectar or lip gloss to make ‘em POP!
*NOTE: I always do #2 because we live in KC and the weather (wind, humidity or crazy temps) will force you to apply something or look like a crack head on the Dave Chapelle Show.
So you see there is a CRITICAL EYE in everyone’s normal routine.
Here’s the deeper issue tho…
When you pay THIS MUCH attention to your own outward appearance, you more than likely will turn that CRITICAL EYE to the public! The strangers you see on the street, your co-workers, friends, even the family in your own house. I went to a Mary Kay workshop a few weeks ago, I heard a NSD say “criticism is NEVER constructive.” I see where she was going with this, but I think there are some grey areas.
Like for instance, if analysis of your outward appearance, inner character, speech or behavior AFFECTS your employment, discipleship, reputation or treatment, then YES, we should all be inclined to receive feedback, or namely, constructive criticism. HOWEVER, constructive criticism turns into the CRITICAL EYE if left in the wrong hands.
Synonyms of CRITICISM: censure, disapproval, condemnation, judgment, analysis, appreciation
Antonyms of CRITICISM: allow, approval, enable, un-opinionated, carelessness, devalue
These are VERY thin, almost transparent lines that separate each side of CRITICISM. I think H-TOWN was on to something when they said, “It’s a THIN line between LOVE and HATE.” So your FAN can become a HATER in 0.5 seconds…if you INTERPRET or RECEIVE the CRITICAL EYE in a way the FAN never INTENDED you to ACCEPT it.
This is basic communication theory: a sender sends a message to a receiver, NOISE occurs; then, the receiver receives a message from the sender. NOTICE I did NOT say the message the sender sent is the exact same message the receiver gets. The NOISE factor is so crucial and is of the UTMOST importance in this communication cycle.
NOISE is the sound, clatter, racket or any other DISTRACTION that causes a BARRIER for the sender to get the message across and the receiver to in fact, receive the INTENDED message the sender INTENDED to transfer. Please do not let you PRIDE, IGNORANCE or EMOTIONS block the POSITIVE, PRUNING message GOD intended for YOU to receive!
We should not ALLOW the NOISE of our FLESH to destroy the PURPOSE of the MESSAGE. Spiritual Application: Harden not your HEART toward the WORD of GOD; it could come from a scripture, devotional or word of mouth. Practical Application: Before you SPEAK out of your mind, check YOUR HEART and consider the messenger’s INTENT. It could save a lot of “hurt” feelings and “cuss-out sessions.”
CONCLUSION:
We in the same picture, but we all got different poses. Each one of us did NOT deserve Christ, but that didn’t stop God from giving His life on our behalf. Before you CRITICIZE another, take an inward evaluation of your MOTIVES. It would be far better to do self-development before focusing on MENTORING someone else in the FAITH. We all NEED JESUS, We all NEED GRACE & MERCY from God. We all NEED the Holy Spirit to dwell in us 24/7 as we enter into spiritual warfare on a daily basis.
So let us not forget that if it HAD NOT BEEN for the mothers that taught us how to be ladies, the fathers that taught us how to keep a man, the elders that kept us in check, the friends that taught us to stay in touch with fashion, the many HATERS that keep us on top of our toes and more importantly our Father in Heaven that constantly teaches us HOW TO EMMULATE CHRIST, where would we be? Turn that CRITICAL EYE first on yourself as you compare your LIFE to CHRIST! The rest of the world will have to check THEIR REFLECTION on their own, either in the private MIRRORS in their life or the public EYES of God on the day in which we will all sit at the FEET of Jesus.
Blessings!
Related Sources: Gen 1:1, Matthew 7:5, Carter IV, Luke 6:41, 1 Corinthians 13, Romans 12, Ephesians 4, James 3, Rev 22:21, Matt 7:1, John 14:26, 1 Sam 16:7, Microsoft Office Word 2007
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