I’M SAVED, NOW WHAT? (part-10)

I’M SAVED, NOW WHAT? (part-10)

MEASURING OUR FAITH (continued)

Okay, we have reviewed just a few areas where we should consider
making adjustments as children of God. Now we need to consider
some obstacles that discourage us from making essential changes
so that we will be more obedient to the Lord.

    AT THE TOP OF THE LIST IS SIN.
    If someone were to ask you to define sin, what would you say?
    Probably the simplest definition is: anything that displeases the
    Lord. It can be breaking any of the Ten Commandments,
    breaking any variations of the commandments (such as
    fornication), or just plain and simple, selfish rebellion to
    anything the Lord desires for us.

    If sin has a grip on your life, then you are not going to be interested
    in making any changes that will draw you closer to the Lord. Sin can
    work its magic in many ways. It can redirect our focus from God’s
    Will to worldly pleasures (which is trading God’s blessings for our
    selfish desires).

    I believe Satan can make the attraction to worldly pleasures so intense
    that it can seem nearly impossible to turn away from sin. He can cause
    us to become addicted to sin, and we know that any addiction is very
    difficult to break (especially in our own strength). Success in breaking
    the chains of sin requires intervention by the Holy Spirit…but we have
    to ask Him to help us, give Him control of our life, and ask Him to give
    us guidance in all things.

    Sin can also cause believers to become so consumed with guilt for
    yielding to temptations, that they feel uncomfortable communicating
    with the Lord in any shape, form or fashion. When that happens, the
    chances of our making changes to our life are much more unlikely.
    We should never allow sin or anything else to break our communication
    with the Lord. Sin can have such a tight grip on us that we have no hope
    of breaking free unless the Lord intervenes to help us.

    ANOTHER OBSTACLE TO OVERCOME IS OUR EGOTISM.
    Egotism can convince us that everything we do is correct and perfect,
    so we really don’t need to make any adjustments. Taking pride in doing
    a good job is not a bad thing. In fact, I believe the Lord wants us to do
    the best we can in using the skills He has given us. However, we can
    develop an arrogant pride that is either an existing egotism, or is a path
    leading to it.

    This can happen quickly and in a subtle fashion whenever we fail to
    acknowledge that all we have, all we are, and all we can accomplish
    is provided by the Lord. Satan constantly tries to convince us that we
    have achieved everything in our own strength, and that we only need
    God to help us with problems, or to heal us of any illnesses. He can
    also convince us that we need to pray for the spiritual maturity of
    others, but not for ourselves.

    So how can we know if we have an unhealthy pride?
    Here are just a ‘few’ indicators of someone with an unhealthy pride:
        – Can’t accept themselves as God accepts them.
        – Has to be the best; has to be number one.
        – Is always striving to stay ahead of those around them.
        – Is more concerned about who they are in the eyes of man
          than they are about how God views their words and actions.
        – Values themselves by what they do, what they own,
          what they know, and who they know.
        – Constantly compares themselves with those around them
          (this is their measuring stick of themselves).
        – Wants to stand out in a crowd.
        – Wants to own things that are better than what others have.
        – Wants to know everything before anyone else does.
        – Wants to have the answers for everything (and doesn’t accept
          other opinions when they conflict with theirs; will not compromise).
        – In their mind, their opinion is the only one that matters.
        – Can be ‘smug’ about what they know and what they can do.
        – Pretends they already know about what others are telling them.
          Often use words like “exactly” during or after they are told something.
        – Is loud, authoritative and emphatic when making a point.
        – Gravitates to those who are well known, and makes special efforts
          to get their attention; prefers their friendship over those of others;
          will ignore friends whenever they have an
          opportunity to speak to a well known person.
        – Enjoys ‘dropping names’ and refers to others as their ‘good friend’
          (especially well known people), when in fact, it is just someone they
          know and not someone who would be categorized as a ‘good friend’.
        – Doesn’t listen to advice very well, and seldom tries anything others
          may suggest (those rare times when they do listen, they are anxious to
          point out any flaws in someone’s advice in a loud and disrespectful manner).
        – Often uses derogatory names for those who do not
          do everything the way they think it should be done
          (uses words like idiot, airhead, jerk, etc.).
        – The type of person that others refer to as ‘hard-headed’
          (“you can’t tell him anything”).
        – Consumed with an arrogant pride that shows its ugly head
          whenever anything doesn’t go the way they want it to go
          (in their mind, their way is the only way). This can cause
          them to be viewed as someone with anger issues.
        – They think more highly of themselves than they do of others.
        – Has themselves on a pedestal and everyone else is below them
          (except those who are well known). They are often condescending
          and critical of others (ridicules others easily and publicly).
        – Can be an aggressive driver of a car
          (feels that everyone should get out of their way).

    A person who is egotistical can easily make assumptions
    about others without adequate information. They feel they
    have the ability to evaluate others better than anyone else.

    For instance, if someone tends to be withdrawn, they may
    assume the other person is anti-social, or wrapped up in
    themselves when in fact the other person may be going
    through a difficult time and in need of prayers from friends.
    This can be a result of the egotistical person wanting the
    other person to live in a certain way that is pleasing to them
    regardless of whether or not it is good for the other person.

    If the other person fails to live the way the egotist thinks they
    should, then the egotistical person will become critical of them
    to others. We can hear them saying things like,
    “They just need to get over it”,
    or “What they need to do is…..”.

    The truth is, we aren’t qualified
    to advise others about situations that are
    (1) something that we have not experienced, or
    (2) something that we have experienced and dealt
         with differently due to the way God has created
         us and the capabilities He has given us.

    God has told us that we should consider others more important than
    ourselves, and not to make assumptions (often incorrect) about their
    attitudes and actions. God’s Word encourages us to love others, and
    to pray for them. In our arrogance, we are disobeying God whenever
    we ridicule or detach ourselves from the very ones who need love,
    understanding, and prayer from their friends.

    When others are acting different than what we think they should,
    we have a God-given responsibility to pray for them. That’s what
    we would want to receive, so it’s what we should be willing to give.
    When we are going through difficult times ourselves, it can bring
    us to our knees in humility, but when the problems get better,
    we have to guard against allowing Satan to create a ‘renewed’
    arrogance in our life.

    How do we do that? We consider the fact that others may be
    going through a difficult time, and we remember how we were
    impacted by our problems, and then we pray for them. We may
    not know how to pray specifically, but we certainly know how
    to pray for God to be with them to heal, encourage, and help
    them navigate whatever they are dealing with.

    God didn’t make us all the same and consequently we will respond
    to situations in different ways. God knows we are different and He
    has different plans tailored for each of us based on the capabilities
    and personalities He has given us. None of us should feel we have
    the knowledge or ‘right’ to judge others (when we do, the scriptures
    classify our attitudes and action as the same as those of a hypocrite).
        “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same
          way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the
          measure you use, it will be measured to you. “Why do you
          look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay
          no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you
          say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’
          when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You
          hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then
          you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s
          eye. (Matthew 7:1-7)

    If you are someone who is egotistical and has an arrogant pride,
    there is a strong possibility that you will deny that you have any
    of these characteristics. Pray and ask God to reveal any areas of
    your life that are not pleasing to Him, and then read through the
    list again. Then, think about how you interact with others and
    what thoughts you have about who you are and what makes you
    happy. Then read through the list another time.

    Now, think about your perception of others (and especially your
    friends). Do you appreciate what others have to offer, or do you
    feel like they don’t quite measure up to your standards. Do you
    enjoy your friendships, or do you find that you use your friends
    as your audience and to cater to your needs?

    Do you have guidelines for others and whenever they do not meet
    those guidelines, do you devalue their friendship, and them as a
    person? Then ask yourself a question – is that the way the Lord
    treats you? Be honest in your evaluation. Pray again for revelations
    from God of anything in your life that does not show the attributes
    of Jesus. Read through the list one more time.