DEALING WITH "CHARACTER FLAWS".
How often have you been in a conversation with a Christian friend or friends, and statements have been made about another Christian person, like, “she often flares up, she has a temper problem, or “he always seems grumpy, he sure has a problem”, and I guess the list of illustrations sadly could go on and on.
Sometimes the comments are in real criticism, often they are simply stated and glossed over, as if to say “that is just the way they are”!
Hardly ever, do we hear the response. “we must pray for them”. I feel the Holy Spirit has been challenging me about my own “character flaws”, that so often we put up with, and not face up to them and see them dealt with.
We are usually very aware of these “flaws” as we often have to ask forgiveness for failing in that area. We agree with John Piper’s statement GRACE IS NOT ONLY FOR PARDON, but forget the second half, GRACE IS POWER.
NOT THAT WE CANNOT SIN, BUT NEED NOT SIN.
The Lord’s death and resurrection dealt with the sin problem 100%, PAST PRESENT & FUTURE and we must learn to appropriate all that was accomplished for us. Perhaps we need to start and ask forgiveness for compromising and making excuses for our “flaws” and simply “putting up with them”. Am I convinced they do not need to be in my life? Do I know how to appropriate this power to live a holy life? Do I have a Mentor who would walk with me to help me learn to walk into victory?
I can sincerely say, this simple blog is firstly speaking loud and clear to me, but because I know human nature so well, I KNOW I AM NOT ALONE.
The writer to Hebrews 12:1 NKJV tells us Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
The AMP. N.T. SAYS THEREFORE THEN, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [who have borne testimony to the Truth], let us strip off and throw aside every encumbrance (unnecessary weight) and that sin which so readily (deftly and cleverly) clings to and entangles us, and let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us,
The MESSAGE Bible expresses it this way Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins.
The writer using a picture like the Olympic games tells us there are many people looking at us (is our defective walk causing them to stumble) WE MUST MAKE A DELIBERATE CONSTANT ACT OF OUR WILL AND GOD HELPING US to strip of like a runner to only what you need, lay aside, throw aside, EVERY UNNECESSARY WEIGHT, and patiently endure and actively persist AND NEVER QUIT.
Dear Readers, WE CAN DO IT, let our “witnesses” see Jesus in us more and more Amen.
