Man Doe, I know what you mean! Asking God to reveal the true condition of our heart and make known to us what He see's is a bit scary. In that it is scary tells us something right there! But each one of us is in the same boat.. it's a boat in the rough waters of sin. We know there was only one perfect man, Jesus and that we are far from living in that kind of perfection. But, since we are to live in the light of His truth and be salt and light for Him him to other's well, that can be a bit of a challenge. Thanks to the Holy Spirit living in us we can have a concious when we screw up cuz if left to our own kind of conciousness well, I'd be wronging someone every hour and not know it or care. Probably do anyway (sad!). But find when I pull closer to God (church, bible study, fellowship w/other believing peeps, et...), I am a better person and am more of what God wants to see in me as His child.
How about when we're NOT accessing our power in Christ through the word, church,
fellowship or the Spirit's nudging? What happens when the rubber meets the road then? How do you think one responds to the pressures of life, people in our lives and situations that come up? Do you think we excude Christ-like attitudes and behavior? Are we living in peace with one another then? My answer is that it's NOT LIKELY!
Shall we take this off and perhaps find a more suitable hat for a Christian gal?!
SEEKING HIM TOGETHER: #5. Revival and reconciliation are inseperable. You cannot be right with God, and not be right with your fellow man." Why do you think there is such a strong conncection between our relationship with God (the vertical) and our relationships with others (horizontal)? I say b/c we all come from Him, we're all His children and as such are interconnected.I found this to be an important insight, reminder from this lesson-- it is that as we treat other's we treat Jesus.
It doesn't matter if we choose to see it that way or not because HE does! I need to remember this in my communication with the people in my life. Christ in us is communicated effectively or ineffectively in how we treat other's whether it be a stranger, neighbor or friend. I will need to pull closer to Him in every way in order to do this better, especially lately having gone though a rough patch of my own and neglecting my most important relationship of all.. that with the Lord!
I hope we go forward unafraid to put into action what it is the Lord showed us from this lesson. Every time I start to trip (old skool word for da ladies!) on what I think is right & is the Lord's way (over mine) then I remind myself that HIS ways are good and will lead me to peace. That should give us the courage to move forward toward reconciliation because otherwise we are moving away from Him and the peace He would have for us.
Love to each of you!