Hello all :) I am excited to be here once again. And am blessed to say all three of my little ones are napping at the same time today after an awesome day at the beach for baptisms with my church yesterday!... and I have been hanging with the Lord the whole time they've been asleep.... a time so sweet!
I hope you all have been visiting and encouraging each other in this race we run together.
As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. Proverbs 27:17
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As you might know... last week I had a lot to share and I even shared more over the weekend in my Then Sings my Soul post regarding promises, moving, faith and trust in the Lord...
This week (well mostly just today) I have had the subject of stumbling others on my heart. You see I struggle very much with my husband (or anyone else for that matter) playing video games, for I know it can be something that so easily entangles someone. It has been an very ugly thing in my life, I point of hatred (murder in my heart) bitterness, unforgiveness, anger and even jealousies. I have given all of that up to the Lord. I don't want to judge others or be controlling of what they chose to do simply because it is something I hate, though I do know God sees that I have been hurt and stumbled.
But I also don't want to look at the speck in my brother's eye when I have A TELEPHONE POLE WITH LIVE WIRES hangin' out of my own!!!
What would God have to say about this is Romans chapter 14?
Even when I look back to Romans 13:14 it tells me to "put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh"... no giving in to anger, no plans of hatred, no old supplies of bitterness, unforgiveness or jealousy!
Then when I look on... I am to "accept the one... not for the purpose of passing judgement."
The gamer may have faith that he can play, but I, the weak one, who cannot handle the gaming, cannot??? (Am I interpreting it well so far in my situation?)
The one who games is not to loath or hate the one who does not, and the one who does not is not to judge the one who does, for God has accepted him! Amen! Did you hear that? I am not to judge him or control him by my hate, God has accepted him!!!
Who am I to judge the servant of another? To his own master (God) he stands or he falls. (Romans 14:4)
My husband just today on facebook talked of conviction on his status, it said: "What happened to conviction? We need to be a people of convictions. Do you have any convictions? Do you live by them? Food for thought... (the reason why I think I went into thinking on all this).
Well as I go on in Romans 14 it says, "Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind."
So I am to be convinced in my own mind on my own doings, and my husband in his own as well... I am not to say he has not heard from the Lord in this matter... So if I observe the day, I observe it for the Lord, and if he games, he does so for the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who does not game also gives thanks to Him.....
Romans 14:7 says, "not one of us lives for himself, and not one dies for himself; for if we live we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die we are the Lord's."
So for both the gamer and myself (from verse 10)... why do I judge my brother? Why do I regard my brother with contempt? For we will both stand before the judgement seat of God. Each of us will give an account of himself to God.
Therefore... Lord, help me not to judge anyone anymore, but rather help me to determine this... not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in anyone else's way. My husband may be convinced in You Lord in his freedom to game (lol - sounds funny - but I need to work this out), but to me who hates it so much, it is only I who is convinced (each person must be fully convinced in HIS OWN mind) and my only concern should be what MY account is to give before You Lord, not his, Lord help me with MY OWN telephone pole!
I dare to think more this way... because of games, I am hurt, so my husband is no longer walking according to love. He should not destroy, with his games, his wife for whom You died Jesus. Therefore even if gaming is a good thing and a liberty to him in You, without responsibility it can lead to evil results... for Your kingdom is not what we can or cannot do, but it is righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. And if he serves You in THIS way (my way Lord?) THAT is acceptable to You and approved by ME????
Lord - please! You lead this situation, not me, not his mentors, not the church, but YOU Lord... guide our every steps... him in his gaming and me in my anger, or not anger even :). Help us BOTH to pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another (Romans 14:19)! Help us not to tear down the work You have already done for the sake of games. All things indeed are clean, so help us, in WHATEVER it may be, on whichever end, to not be evil to one another if the other takes offense. Help us BOTH to learn it is good for us BOTH to not do anything by which each other stumbles. Help us to know without a doubt our OWN convictions and not condemn the other for what his freedoms are! Help ME Lord not to cause my husband to doubt in his convictions making him be condemned if he games, if he is gaming in faith, then it is not sin and I am to be judged for my judgement! Lord help me to put You on and make NO provision for my flesh!
I know this might have been hard to follow, but this was an amazing eye opener from the Lord in this beautiful quite time He has provided for me...
what has He spoken to you this week?
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