TIME FOR A REALITY CHECK!!! 1 John 2:15-17 Do not love the world or
anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For
everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the
pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The
world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives
forever. Click Logo to LISTEN NOW! Greetings! BlogFam, As we quickly come to the end of our 40 Days
of Fasting, I have one question – Has anything begun to shift in your
life? Have you experienced any changes
over the last few weeks as a result of your sacrifice? Are you beginning to see a change in yourself
or in your situation? Or, are you in the
exact same place that you were when you began?
Well, the first thing I want to say is this: IT IS NOT OVER! You still have some time to sacrifice and surrender
during this season of Lent. At the same
time, perhaps it really is time to do a reality check. Did you even have any kind of expectation
that God would move in your life during this time? OR, did you simply choose not to participate
in this season because you were personally unwilling to sacrifice the things
you love for the purposes of strengthening your faith walk? You might as well be honest. God knows the truth of the matter. I am so very clear that there are some of you who want to see change and be inspired and be granted promotions but there are people, places, or things that continue to keep you from being free to receive all that our God has for you. There are a number of reasons why this is so but one reason, according to our scripture for today is our own love for the world or anything in the world. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. Thus, there are things we desire that will act as
barriers which block the favor that might rest upon our lives because If anyone
loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. WOW!
This is deep! I mean most of us
will not overtly admit that love for the Holy One is not inside of their
hearts. That is not something you would likely
hear the “worst” sinner say. Besides why
would anyone admit that love for the creator of the world, the one who gives
and sustains all life, the one who bestows upon us every good and perfect gift –
is nonexistent? This is a challenging
passage. And we all must ask ourselves –
Do we love the world? And what does that
mean? How has our love affair with the things
of this world competed with our passion for the purpose and plans of the
Almighty God? Friends, do you love the world or anything in the world
- the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life? The scripture goes on to say that the world
and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever. Perhaps all that seems to be slipping through
your fingers is the passing away of the temporal evidence of your lust and
pride. Perhaps, it is time to do a
self-evaluation. Perhaps, it is time to
think through our own internal hindrances to our own progress instead of
pointing our fingers at others or even at God! My sistas and brothas, I challenge you to take time
today to specifically confess those things that fall within the categories the
text mentions that are causing you to be less than your best. How has your lust of the flesh [craving for sensual
gratification] halted the flow of God’s favor in your life? In what ways has your lust of the eyes [greedy longings
of the mind] kept you from seeing the moves of God in your life? What consequences have you endured because the pride of
your life [assurance in one's own resources or in the stability of earthly
things] has prevented your trust in God as your source? Friends, today, I pray that you would come face to face
with the true condition of your heart as it is reflected in the word of
God. I pray that you would use the
remaining time we have in Lent to sacrifice and surrender to God all that you
need to in order to be in right standing with God. I pray that you would confess and allow the
Holy Spirit to correct your misdirected passions – your lust of the flesh, your
lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.
I pray that all that has faded away that was not pleasing with God,
well, I pray that it will never be revived so that all that is of God would be
clear to you and would remain as promised in His word. I pray that your sincere desire is to do the will
of the Heavenly Father and that as you walk in the Spirit and away from the
things of this world, you would be blessed beyond measure and have no regrets
for choosing the higher way of life. Delesslyn Twitter - @AudraSunshine or @SpiritedConcept Email - delesslyn@spiritedconcepts.net ***MY FIRST BOOK*** Step Out of the Boat: An Invitation to Walk on Water Click on Picture of Cover to Purchase TODAY!!! THANK YOU for your support!!! PLEASE SUBSCRIBE on the left to get email updates,SHARE it with three people, COMMENT below, and click here to GIVE a donation of $5.00 or your best gift to keep it going! I WRITE by Faith and NOT by Sight... |