I woke up during the night and then again this morning with a song Francesca Battistelli wrote and sings...
It's your life
What you gonna do?
The world is watching you
Every day the choices you make
Say what you are and who
Your heart beats for
It's an open door
It's your life
As I was singing these words, the Lord reminded me of yesterday's sermon. I find it interesting the subject was also discussed in the adult Sunday School class. I wonder if the ones in that class and then in the service thought about how the Lord was evidently trying to get His point across. That seems to happen so often and when it does it assures the pastor what he is delivering truly is what the Lord desires. We all have a choice every day to live in His will or live in the flesh. Throughout our days we can made decisions based upon the desires of His heart or what we ourselves desire. As one lives in His Spirit those desires become the same but as long as we are living in the flesh they are many times at opposite ends of the spectrum. Especially when it comes to loving others. It is not easy to love others who believe differently than you, especially when you are not living in the Spirit. It is easier to get mad when someone voices an opinion other than yours. How you react to such circumstances shows where you are in your walk with the Lord. As the song goes, "Every day the choices you make say what you and who your heart beats for..." I desire for people to see Jesus living in and through me. I sure do not want people seeing hatred come out of my words, actions or attitude. People who are around you often know which buttons to push to get you upset. That's why it is so important to stay 'prayed up' as my friend Chester use to say. The words of the Apostle Peter in the second chapter of I Peter are ones people today do not want to listen to. They are words people will pick and chose what they want to claim to follow and what they want to discard. They are words believers will argue with. They are as applicable today as they were when they were written. This whole political mess is dividing believers and that is the biggest shame I think I have ever lived through. When Peter said "Respect the authorities" he was not saying to only respect those you like or have the same beliefs as you do. When Peter wrote "Treat everyone you meet with dignity. Love your spiritual family" he was not meaning only those you like. When he wrote "Revere God" and "Respect the government" he didn't mean only when things are going your way. These are words that need to be followed each and every day of our lives. It is definitely not easy in the flesh but it is possible when living in His Spirit.
Dear Jesus,
Thank You for the reminders from yesterday's sermon and from this song today. Thank You for enabling each and every one of us to live in Your Spirit. It takes dying to self every day to live in this way. Father, I pray for the pastor and his family who resigned yesterday. I pray for them to rely upon You during these days of the unknown. Enable them to hear You in a whole new way. I also pray for that church as they go through some tough days. Lord, You had me praying for two pastor's wives during the night who are dealing with cancer. I pray they will have the support of their church family throughout these difficult days. I pray for their church family to love on them even more than they already do. I know what it is like to be so far away from family and deal with C. Lord, I pray for more of You to show through my words, actions and attitude. I pray for those who know what buttons to push in me to cause me to react in a manner not pleasing to You. I don't want remembered for having a bad attitude toward someone. Thank You for my friend Sharon who texted me these words yesterday, "the pastor said this morning don't pray for faith...pray for opportunities to use your faith...and as soon as he said it I thought of you." Those are the kinds of things I want remembered for! I pray for those in this world who are dealing with pain in their emotional body which is causing them to lash out to people. I pray for those who are under conviction and need to take the final step toward You. Father, You are so awesome in the way You love on us. I praise Your Holy Name for the way You provide us with exactly what we need, when we need it. Lord, today is a new day. The week ahead is full but I do not want any distractions from anything You desire of me to do. Fill me to overflowing with more of You so You show through in every aspect of my life. Fill my emotional tank as it gets depleted. Fill my physical tank with more energy so I don't focus on what is not there. But most of all fill my spiritual tank so You show through. Thank You Jesus for being My Filler. Amen.
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