How God Works on Your Inner Life. Part 2.

How God Works on Your Inner Life. Part 2.

Conviction is called a guilt complex. When you feel guilty about something you’ve done, it’s a conviction from God. This is the time for you to repent and ask forgiveness. You’ll find repentance solves a number of issues. Take it seriously.

We need to be calling things as they are. The wording for crimes against nature is now called ‘lifestyle choice.’ Paedophiles now wish to be called ‘minor attracted people’. Narcissism is now seen as self-centred or a user. With any of these; STOP. It could save your marriage or your career.

Every known sin must be named aloud. Call it for what it is; addiction, gluttony, perversion, pornography, drugs, alcohol, affairs and many more.

Sometimes we’re deceived into believing there is no sin in our lives. We’ve watered down the meaning of sin to such an extent that we don’t see the sin anymore. This creates a separation between you and God. Deal with it and stop making excuses for it. Call it for what it is - jealousy, pity, resentfulness, bitterness, temper.

If you want God’s power you must take a hold of the sins you carry and turn them around.

Another area to work on is idol worship. Never be so attached to anything that it owns you, that you can’t let it go. Not homes, cars, money, jobs, children, pets. God needs to be first in your life. Not that we want to give away our children or our pets; just know that they are borrowed for a time.

Your righteousness must exceed that of scribe and pharisee. Yes, they followed the law more than the Lord, but they were diligent to that law. We need to be diligent to the Lord God Almighty, working with Him every day, not half-heartedly, but fully immersed.

When you fail, because try as you might you will fail at some point and when you do, ask for grace and then move on. None of us are perfect. We all do and say things we regret. Our job at this point is to ask God’s forgiveness as soon as we see we need it.

Be the type of Christian which honours what you own and who you spend your time with. Take care of your household, pay your bills on time, be prudent and wise and look to the interests of others. Work at something useful so you can share it when needed.

Never defend yourself, allow God to do it. When suffering unjustly, be mindful of God throughout. And no, it’s not easy to do. We want to shout the lack of justice from the rooftops, but wait. God will work it to your benefit in time.

We might endure sorrow and difficulty and unjustly and un-rightly so at times. If, when you do good and suffer for it, to this you have been called; so you can follow in His footsteps. Jesus did not threaten when He suffered, in fact He blessed. Don’t be surprised at the fiery trial but rejoice, for the spirit of the glory of God rests upon you.

If hardship comes through you doing the wrong thing, so be it, but if you suffer because of obeying the gospel, can you still trust God? If so, you are blessed. Let God defend you. We don’t need to defend ourselves. He will oppose those who oppose you. Exodus 23:22 But if you indeed obey His voice and do all that I speak, I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to you adversaries.

We most commonly try to defend our talent and our reputation. The Lord’s defending may take a lot longer than you anticipate, but He will be faithful. It’s better to let things go and allow God to work on it in His own time. It’s better to let false charges die on their own than you declare your own righteousness. In other words; shut up and let it die, as I heard mention by one minister. Let your example show the truth of who you are. When you die to your reputation, you’ll be useful to God.

Never speak about someone if it will hurt them. If you can’t say it to their face, don’t say it. Abuse aside (for this should never be acceptable); anger, wrath, malice, slander, quarrelling, conceit, jealousy, hostility and disorder, whether spoken or written it needs to stop.

There’s another deeper level, one not quite so obvious; one in which people are more likely to accept. Anger, obscene talk, malice, hypocrisy, envy and slander. The thing these all have in common is; slander and gossip. If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.

Love covers a multitude of sins. Gossip and tale bearers have no place in God’s arena. Even if wrapped in the form of intercessory prayer. Gossip takes you out of Gods plan for your life. The biggest thing that destroys ministries is people not being comfortable sharing due to the fact that they can’t trust you won’t repeat what they’ve told you in confidence. When this happens, the power will shut down, for no one will come forward for any ministry.

Life under God means we don’t get to say anything we want. Be guarded about what you say, who you say it to and who you say it about. Fear God for His grace empowers you; gossip stops the flow. Refuse to be party to slander and gossip.

Another area which will reduce the power of God’s flow in your life is when you take credit for what God has done. Never accept any glory. The glory is God’s and He will not share it, nor give it to another.

Vain glory is what we’re talking about here. Talent and skills are given to you by God. They were never yours to start with. They’re given to glorify God. Jesus gave up His own reputation, shouldn’t we do the same.

A prayer we might consider in this moment is; Lord glorify Yourself at my expense. Let the consequences be as they may.