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“Why do you call me
‘Lord, Lord’ and do not do what I say?”-Luke 6:46
There are times in my life I recognize I don’t honor the
words of the One I have chosen to follow. As a Christian I know there are needs
of those around me that I don’t respond to or choose to ignore. I confess this
fault. However, if we are honest, we all have this same confession.
I know that there are people who need someone to comfort
them in time of loss or pain, but my desires overcome the desire to serve the way
Christ served. I know there are people with financial needs that I could assist
with, but my fear of future needs overtakes my knowledge of Christ’s teaching
to give when I can give and not store up treasure on earth.
It’s hard to confess these things, but they are true.
I strive to serve and love the way Christ calls me to serve
and love, but I give in to my flesh, which leads me to failure.
Paul wrote, “So I find this law at work: Although I want to
do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s
law; but I see another law at work in
me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law
of sin at work within me. What a
wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks
be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:21-25).
I thank God for these words from Paul! These are transparent
words being shared by the man Christ used to bring the Gospel to the Gentile
people! A man Christ felt was responsible and worthy enough to plant churches,
to guide the leadership of those churches, and write letters which would end up
as the majority of the New Testament! Yet, he gave in to his flesh and failed
to follow the right direction at times.
I feel better!
Ok, this doesn’t mean I can keep going along in my fleshly
desires and rest in my failure, but it does mean I can rest in Christ’s
forgiveness.
I need to continue to strive to serve and love the way He
calls me to. I need to listen to His Word and do what He teaches. However, when
I fail to value His Word over my flesh; I need to remember I have been
delivered “…through Jesus Christ our Lord!”
Amen!
Question: If you are
honest, do you find yourself avoiding certain things that you know you should
do?
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