It may not feel like 2020 has given any of us choices, but I do believe God is asking all of us to declare our beliefs by the choices we make. Before our prayer zoom meeting Friday, I had an interesting conversation on church services. If I was completely honest, I enjoyed the month that it was required we stay home and worship. Being an introvert, I enjoyed the comfort of my home. During the conversation, I reiterated that if we want corporate worship, then we are going to have to struggle for it. That struggle for many of us will come in different forms. When I got to church Sunday, the temptation of self was a struggle I did not see coming.
The impulse to be offended became so strong for me that I could not sing for a portion of praise and worship. Let’s just say that while I was struggling with God concerning the insult, I referred to it as being kicked in the teeth. I wish I could give insight into the incredible rudeness, but I feel it is important to stay focused on the important things. See, that is the core of every choice we make. I am stunned by how fast I got offended. I teach my ladies that temptations from Satan are personal and buddy, this offense was a direct hit. The desire to quit and walk was extreme. If that was not good enough, I heard the temptation to encourage others to join in on the departure of church. For about five minutes, I forgot the importance of being a child of God.
If you do not understand that you have a purpose and that you are valuable, then you will miss out on those occasions to be God’s salt and light. If this last statement is completely wrong, then please tell me why evil is always encouraging you to get offended and disqualify yourself in some form. Please go read 1 Peter 3:8-22. There are so many phrases that I would love to point to in these verses, but for me, I have to say, “humble in spirit” is the key words.
Satan will always make sure someone will give voice, take credit, or be the catalyst for hate towards you. When this happens, please go to God and talk it through. When you do, He will help you remember what is important. Do you want to know the saddest thing about yesterday? Until I started writing this, I forgot that the associate pastor gave me two pens and told me to hug my husband. He then proceeded to provide praise concerning an issue. God was faithful to counter the offense given to me, but I was too busy, allowing myself to fall for it that I did not even notice. Maybe it is time for all of us to notice and make a decision to always choose God.
The impulse to be offended became so strong for me that I could not sing for a portion of praise and worship. Let’s just say that while I was struggling with God concerning the insult, I referred to it as being kicked in the teeth. I wish I could give insight into the incredible rudeness, but I feel it is important to stay focused on the important things. See, that is the core of every choice we make. I am stunned by how fast I got offended. I teach my ladies that temptations from Satan are personal and buddy, this offense was a direct hit. The desire to quit and walk was extreme. If that was not good enough, I heard the temptation to encourage others to join in on the departure of church. For about five minutes, I forgot the importance of being a child of God.
If you do not understand that you have a purpose and that you are valuable, then you will miss out on those occasions to be God’s salt and light. If this last statement is completely wrong, then please tell me why evil is always encouraging you to get offended and disqualify yourself in some form. Please go read 1 Peter 3:8-22. There are so many phrases that I would love to point to in these verses, but for me, I have to say, “humble in spirit” is the key words.
Satan will always make sure someone will give voice, take credit, or be the catalyst for hate towards you. When this happens, please go to God and talk it through. When you do, He will help you remember what is important. Do you want to know the saddest thing about yesterday? Until I started writing this, I forgot that the associate pastor gave me two pens and told me to hug my husband. He then proceeded to provide praise concerning an issue. God was faithful to counter the offense given to me, but I was too busy, allowing myself to fall for it that I did not even notice. Maybe it is time for all of us to notice and make a decision to always choose God.
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