Watch out, brothers, so that there won't be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart that departs from the living God. But encourage each other daily, while it is still called today, so that none of you is hardened by sin's deception. Hebrews 3:12-13.
"Before I began to understand the Lord's grace, the sin of having a critical spirit was alive and well in me. I had it all figured out, even when I couldn't live up to the standards I set. I just couldn't figure out why other Christians didn't get it. Family, friends, you name it, the standards for Christian living had all been set for us - at least in my mind.
As the Holy Spirit revealed His grace, my heart melted. I immediately recognized my legalistic mindset that was hardening my heart and hindering my intimacy with the Lord. I had made a list of "don'ts" instead of living in the incredible "dos" the Lord had for me. I stopped looking at other people's splinters and saw the gigantic log in my eye. I was surprised at the freedom that came over me. I didn't have to worry about other people's so-called shortcomings anymore. That was between them and God.
The process of sanctification in a person's heart is very individual. And there was a lot of sanctification that needed to take place in me. All I had to do was allow the Lord to reveal my sin and then allow Him to cleanse me and change me. Instead of harboring a critical spirit that keeps me bound and miserable, I now can keep my eyes on the cross that keeps me free."
-Denise Munton
No comments:
Post a Comment