My Walk Monday

Sorry Ladies for the delayed message today. I have been struggling pretty heavy in the very things God is calling me to be obedient on. Letting go of my selfishness and laziness is no easy battle. It seems like many new tactics are being tossed my way, but the difference is this time I am actually TRYING to fight!!!
If you are also going through a tough time, please feel free to post that on My Walk Mondays this will help us to know how to pray for and encourage each other.

This reminds me of a bit I wanted to share last night when I couldn't manage to get this post written. As you know I am still reading the 'Let Go' book... and one of the first things I wanted to share from this week's devotions was...
To bear one another's burdens (Galatians 6:2) or possibly to bear the burden of their imperfections?! (That's something to think about now isn't it? Definitely something I need to work on, I am so judgmental and controlling.)

Here is more of what I learned...

• I must not expect too much from other's but be patient with their faults, as I myself am faulty!
• to keep peace in a relationship I should be quiet, prayerful & surrendered, refusing criticism and jealousy.
• to seriously think about death (one of the new tactics in my battle) is not necessarily bad, it keeps me aware of my weaknesses and keeps me humble in God's hands.
• irritability under correction is worse than all other faults combined (ouch!)
• the sting of correction wouldn't be felt if the old self were dead.
• the more correction hurts, the more it was neccessary.
• the moment I start listening to self screech complaints in my ear is right when God's whisper gets drowned out (I would much rather hear God than me, how 'bout you?)
• I shouldn't make important decisions during times of distress.
• the only way I can profit from God's counsel is to maintain willingness to sacrifice ANYTHING to Him, no matter how much it hurts self.
• I cannot become strong until I am aware of my weakness (well maybe that weakness is what I am learning about lately, because it has been pretty hard.)
• I need to find a balance between learning and doing, like faith and works you know?
• I need to be careful of taking up old habits and focus on building resistance to self.
• my freedom is more valuable than what I am afraid of losing.
• I need to be faithful to practice what I am learning so God can entrust me with more (I am always praying for growth and hoping that I can be a beautiful woman of God someday, but I cannot expect to get to my thousandth step if I haven't yet taken the second!)

Did I mention yet that I love this book and am glad God moved me to buy it and that He is helping me be faithful to read it... I love how the writer constantly refers to our flesh as self, because where he says "self" I would be so prone to saying "me", but that is not the me I want to be, I would much rather be detached from me/my "self" and find Jesus in my loss of life. (Matthew 6:25)

My husband was blessed to teach on Sunday in main service and was having a hard time thinking his message was too rough, well let me tell ya... it was exactly what I needed to hear! It was on Genesis chapter 12: reviewing Abram's journey. From the beginning he disobeyed! (There's that word again! Of coarse this message was for me!) Here is his disobendiences...

1. he was supposed to go from his relatives, but he brought Lot with him!
2. he did not stay where God told him to go because of a famine in the land
3. he lies about Sarai not being his wife

Here are his consiquences...

1. Lot's daughters slept with him and had sons: Moab and Ben-ammi (both the Moabites and Ammonites came from these sons, enemies of the sons of Israel)
2. He picked up maidservants in Egypt where he ran to, also picking up Hagar who bears his first son... this effects the present day war in the middle east.
3. Pharaoh gets angry and kicks him out of Egypt making him a bad witness of God's name.

Why the disobedience? Loneliness, depression, fear worry... sounds like a snow ball effect of sin to me.
Remedy... STOP! recognize it as sin, look at it, let God show you how disgusting it is, repent, be diligent.

1 Samuel 15:22 (my notes) it is better to obey than to sacrifice... verse 23: rebellion is as witchcraft to the Lord.
Jude 24-25 "Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen."

A-men! Now know that you are all loved by our Lord and I am happy to see you here again. Good Night.