I'm having a cup of tea.
I smile as I read the teatag.
Experience; it's bitter sweet - is it not? It certainly has the POTENTIAL to grant us power and confidence *** IF *** we determine to GROW with pleasing God as the highest aim in our "life's education".
Grievously, we all observe individuals who truly seem to be self-destructive. They don't learn from their experiences; instead they repeat them over and over and over again. It's a witness of insanity to those of us who dedicate our lives to learning, growing, and changing.
This morning I read Psalm 4:7-8:
"You have put joy in my heart more than when their wheat and new wine have abound. In peace, I will both lie down and sleep, for You Lord, alone make me dwell in safety and confident trust."
Read that again. Did you catch the contrast? The writer ISN'T experiencing circumstantial overflow, YET they recognize that through God they ARE experiencing the internal overflow of joy and peace.
Life is not circumstantially peaceful and overflowing in abundance these days; from North Korea to Las Vegas to Africa to your corner of the world to my corner of the world. But please get this.... and I mean really get this.... joy and peace are NOT products of external circumstances. They are PRODUCTS of a life intimately linked to the Holy Spirit. Galatians 5: 22-23; "But the fruit OF THE SPIRIT is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."
Today, I had the displeasure of watching a video that was deeply unsettling and set my righteous anger into motion. The "Christian" speaker was attempting to define what a good woman is. He addressed all things external. Be THIS wife; don't nag him, support his vision, be peaceful, be silent unless you're cheer-leading for him, be everything sexual that he dreams... and on and on the list went. I just about imploded. I told the individual that brought it to my attention, "This will do far more damage to those in relationship than help them."
What makes a good woman is a Godly woman who follows (is surrendered to) God's heart and will; and, as such, my witness is that God often uses her to counter and confront the man's will....(and vise-a-versa), especially that which is rooted in the carnal. God's intent is for a home to be a place of refueling for BOTH spouses as well as the children therein, but His first and foremost motive is that it be a sanctuary of refinement into holiness for every member of the household....and that objective has NO option but to singe and burn up unrighteousness. That's going to bring the concept of iron sharping iron to bear in most households until God's will is all that matters. Most every one has heard the expression, "God isn't interested in your happiness, but in your holiness." Hello!
There is an abundance of out-workings (the Fruit of the Spirit) from a Godly life, married or NOT, but those are birthed INTERNALLY from the Holy Spirit.... products of Him... NOT your circumstances, events, things, or people around you. If you keep looking to those elements to grant you joy and peace, you'll NEVER find them. Never.
I smile. My second teatag:
Hello! AGAIN.... that too is NOT possible without the Holy Spirit and His fruit!
Tap WHOLLY into the Holy Spirit....understand, His fruit works from the inside out... NOT from the outside in. If you don't wholly tap into Him, you will forever flounder...doomed to repeat today the self-destructive patterns of yesterday... and on into your tomorrows.....
Stop the insanity!
Godspeed!
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