Skip to main content

Those Regretful Moments

Our lives have a voice. At times, it's a voice that can speak far louder than the one that comes forcefully out of our mouths. As followers of Christ, if the opportunity to talk about our experience with our Lord presents itself and we find our mouths shut in silent shame because of the life we've been living in front of present company... we've uncovered a problem.

When the life we're living - what we say and do, doesn't measure up to what we might truthfully say or claim boldly in front of others, we may have a credibility issue. And that issue in that moment isn't just with the person or persons we wish we could speak freely to... but with ourselves... and we know at the same time that the Lord sees it. It suddenly becomes a moment of self acknowledgment - an instant self examination that has the opportunity to result in further growth and maturity... or to become an opportunity for discouragement and spiritual immobility.

The enemy of our souls would prefer the latter, because that's his current business...

1 Peter 5:8-9 (NLT) "8 Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. 9 Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are."

But our God intends for us to grow, become strong and to mature in Christ. It's a process of transformation that takes time, diligence and attention and can only be achieved by our submission to the work that the Holy Spirit is doing in us. It's the Holy Spirit who calls our attention to the refining work to be done and begins to make the necessary changes in us as we submit to Him. It can be a humbling process, but one intended to move us toward positive growth. We serve a positive God who's intentions toward us are always for good, so there's plenty of reason to willingly submit to His hand and turn those otherwise regretful moments into a positive result - that's always our Lord's business.

There are none of us perfect and it's possible that sooner or later we'll provide ourselves with the opportunity to trip over our own feet spiritually. Pride and arrogance can make it a lot farther fall when we do, which is why it's always better to remain humble before the Lord. Wrong attitudes themselves provide an opportunity for the Lord to provide a humbling lesson. I've experienced that hard fall in my own life because of my own wrong attitude and have consequently become wary of heights. It's far better to remember who I am before Him and my place in His presence than to think more highly of myself than I should. I pray that lesson never bears repeating, but there are moments still when my own inattention can leave an opening for sudden regret and I'm quickly reminded to find my place of repentance. I'm forever grateful for His forgiving grace and patience with me - as with all of us..

1 Peter 5:10-11 (NLT)
10 "In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. 11 All power to him forever! Amen."

My point in this is to bring to mind what it is that we might be saying to others with our lives, and to remind that no matter who we are, or even just who we think we are, we're all subject to the possibility of potential failures. As followers of Christ, we serve a positive God, so in those moments when we're faced with our own flaws, we have an opportunity to choose to humbly submit to His positive work in us. Or to give our enemy what he's so anxiously hoping for - allowing him an opportunity to beat us up or even just to revel in watching us beat ourselves up. The enemy's quite happy with either. Choose wisely.

Live the life that speaks the truth of your fellowship with the Lord and always remember that He's listening. What we say with our mouths is very important, but there are times when we'll be reminded that the lives that we live speak louder. Live well, speak well and live without further regret...


Micah 6:8 (NLT) "No, O people, the LORD has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God."

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

What If...

"For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.  And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. "  Hebrews 4:12-13 (NKJ) I'm not one who appreciates the stoking of fear for the sake of it or unnecessarily. There are enough things in this life to keep people concerned and even constantly fearful if they subscribe to them. I would like though, to take a moment to encourage my brothers and sisters in Christ and any others who will take a little time to read this and give it some serious consideration because the subject has real   potential  consequences and there's still time to address any issues that we find upon reflection... If you were made aware that   sometime in the next hour  your life on earth was ...

Judging, Judgment And Judge...

"I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark. I will not judge those who hear me but don’t obey me, for I have come to save the world and not to judge it. But all who reject me and my message will be judged on the day of judgment by the truth I have spoken. I don’t speak on my own authority. The Father who sent me has commanded me what to say and how to say it. And I know his commands lead to eternal life; so I say whatever the Father tells me to say.” John 12:46-50 (NLT) A lot is said these days about "judging", but in the midst of that popular societal buzz and the assertive comments that come with that conversation, I have a question: If God has called something sin and we simply agree with what He's said,... are we judging or just repeating and declaring the truth? When He walked the earth, Jesus spoke about judging and He pointed out the danger of our judging...  “Do not judge other...

An Observance And Observing True Reality...

As Easter approaches, I begin once again considering how our God sees our observance of an occasion as I always do and also what He might truly desire of us in observance above any of our trivial, man inspired traditions . What I come away with in firm conviction is the understanding that the most trivial of my sins, the least of my crimes against God, had the power to forever damn me in His judgment of me and send me into unending torment. And that knowing this one thing in truth and as reality, is key to my correct posture before God in honor of His purpose in the event. That key being the horror of knowing that the price of my very least sin was the shedding of my Christ Jesus' blood and His horrible suffering, because the reality of this brings the deep rending of my heart in awe and gratitude and it makes possible my true joy at the relief of my sentence because of what He has done. I believe this is a part of what God would desire from us in observance of Christ's death a...