Is it time for your check-up? Your spiritual check-up? Have you been missing prayer time or Bible study lately? Still feeling connected, yet detached somehow? Still talking the talk, but stumbling a little on the walk?
Think on this little gem I came across. I think it may help all of us do our necessary check-ups.
"If you don't LIVE it, you don't BELIEVE it."
Now there's a sobering thought. Please reflect on it for a few moments.
I'm going to make sure I am living what I believe and I hope you will too.
God Bless You.
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The apostle Paul would not agree with the author of this one, for he said: "The things I want to do, I do not and the things I don't want to do, that I do...."
He believed all that he said, but found he was powerless to live it; the wonder, beauty and the unsearchable need for the Spirit. I believe many things but apart from Him, I cannot live them.
I'm going to make sure I am living what I believe and I hope you will too.
We are to strive to live our life as Christ has told us to, by keeping His commandments and showing love for one another. I believe I see this in your writing, and I highly commend you for stating it. We are not perfect, but we are not exactly helpless either, for we have the power of Christ to help us as we war against sin in our lives. Thank you for sharing your encouragement for us to live a more holy life before God. Where we fail, Christ will do the rest, as our lives are in obedience to Him. Thomas
Beth, I agree with what Thomas has said, Where we fail, Christ will do the rest, as our lives are in obedience to Him.
Today I was put in check, by my daughter yet, as to an attitude that had reared its ugly head. It was something that snuck up on me, and you might say I had a check-up of sorts! I strive to do what is right. I strive to live out the Word of God, yet I fail at times - and that is where God's grace comes into play! You are correct, we must live out the Word of God and be humble enough and open enough to the prompting of the Holy Spirit to know when we messed up! Recently I watched my daughter apologize for a behavior she displayed in front of a young man. She later told me, 'mom, he made me really mad by what he said and I responded to that, but God was on my butt and I had to apologize because what had been only his wrong, had now become mine because of the way I responded." Does that make sense? We all need to have spiritual check-ups! I got mine today!!!
Now let's look at the Message version of Romans 7:14-16 I can anticipate the response that is coming: "I know that all God's commands are spiritual, but I'm not. Isn't this also your experience?" Yes. I'm full of myself—after all, I've spent a long time in sin's prison. What I don't understand about myself is that I decide one way, but then I act another, doing things I absolutely despise. So if I can't be trusted to figure out what is best for myself and then do it, it becomes obvious that God's command is necessary.
