Love

Offence, bitterness, unforgiveness, and pride.....eww what a bunch of nasty words. I personally like it when those things don't come up. I'm not sure how many of us wake up in the morning and say "hey! I hope there is an opportunity for me to avoid allowing a root of bitterness to take hold today"!  Unfortunately some days one, or all of these come our way and we get to choose how we walk it out.  For some reason the church and ministry seem to be a thriving place for those four ugly things.  I'm not sure how many times I have read, heard or know people in ministry that have been hurt, or have taken on the hurt.  A few years ago I was listening to a lady speak and she was blunt. She said: Sometimes it's our own problem and we just need to get over it! Ouch! She's right! But sometimes it goes much deeper and further then that.  I've tried the "just get over it approach" many times and have failed many times.  Most of the failure has come out of wanting to be...right or feeling strongly that what I heard from God was correct and the other person must have gotten it wrong.  What is that about?! Well that, my friend, is about pride. Pride is our way of making ourselves feel better...or is pride about fear? Fear of what others will think or fear of totally bombing it?  Also amidst all these wonderful things that are being dealt with, the enemy wants our hurt to turn into unforgiveness. A path that most of us have gone down, and we know we should avoid. It's like locking ourselves and the other person in a cage. It's just not worth it! So then what DO we do? Well some of these lessons I have learned before...and am still learning. But these are some keys that I have been clinging to as of late: Just throw it in the trash! Not the people or even the situation, but the lies that are being whispered to you. Ask Jesus for clarity and to speak into your ears and into the situation.  Another strategy I have been walking out is "Don't go down there".  This revelation had been HUGE for me.  It came out of Nehemiah ch. 6. Nehemiah was on a mission to fix the wall of Jerusalem. Then along comes his enemy and says "hey let's meet up!"  I love Nehemiah's response: " I am doing a great work, so I can't come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it and go down to you?"  Whoa! How often do we take up the enemy on his offer to go down and roll in the muck of self pity and bitterness...even if just for a little while? When we do that we are leaving our destiny of the good works that we are doing with Jesus.  Even if just for a little while. I'm beginning to realize what a huge waste of time it is. Plus there is always clean up to do afterwards. So lately when I have been tempted to "go down there" I have been speaking out and agreeing with the truth of the task that is at hand that has been destined for me. And that means more time with Jesus and less time in the muck.  FORGIVE!! This should maybe be first, last, and or somewhere in the middle. "If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any they are retained." John 20:23 "And be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you." Ephesians 4:32. It can seem almost impossible sometimes, and may even be a process...but don't give up! Forgiveness allows for Holy Spirit to  move in reconciliation. Another important key for me has been to pray for them, Holy Spirit led prayers. Ask God to bless them, call the gold out of them and ask Him for HIS thoughts about that person.  This one is hard for me at times, but I have seen much fruit in it.  Not only does my heart start to change towards that person, but most of the time I start to notice a difference in them as well.  And last, but certainly not least is walking in humility.  Walking in humility is the opposite of walking in pride. Unfortunately there are many of us that have such pride issues that we have a hard time seeing the pride in ourselves, but we can certainly pick it out in others! Or some of us walk in false humility which is just a "nice" way of having pride.  So what do we do about it? We ask Him to search our hearts and reveal to us where we have pride, repent of it and choose humility. I know, it sounds so simple written on a blog post, but in reality saying no to pride is one thing and choosing the lower seat at the table is another.  I encourage you though, to take the lower seat.  "Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves". Phi 2:2-3. 

As I'm sitting here wondering how I should end this, a line from a children's song from the Music Machine popped into my head..."love, love, love makes people happy. Love, love, makes people free. Love makes people do the things they know they ought to do...." "Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 1 Cor. 13:4-7 "Let the inner movement of your heart always be to love one another, and never play the role of an actor wearing a mask. Despise evil and embrace everything that is good and virtuous. Be devoted to tenderly loving your fellow believers as members of one family. Try to outdo yourselves in respect and honor of one another. Romans 12:9-10 (tPt)