Not Always Easy

Not always Easy...

by David Brenneman 

It's not always easy to live in peace with everyone...but it is possible.  Jesus said that with God all things are possible.  

We strive too much to see the justice we seek on our own terms through our own understanding of things concerning others.  Yet another tack to the viewpoint of Proverbs 3:5-6 NASB95 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart And lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight."

Our understanding is not the understanding of Christ's if we are not living in the character of Christ.  

When we put our own understanding first in situations where we are, we will never accept what the Spirit teaches. 

Most people do not want to recognize or I guess a better way to say it is to acknowledge...we will give an account of our lives before Jesus.

Everything will be laid bare with whom we have to do.  Hebrews 4:13 NASB95 "And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.".

The Spirit teaches the opposite of selfishness.  A servant of God is self-less.

A Believer is to prefer one another above themselves.  Romans 12:10 NASB95 "Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor;"

It's not to say that you still won't face people with difficulty in life.  For the Believer we are to obey Christ in all things.  

"Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity." Ephesians 4:26-27 NASB. 

What are we to do?

Take it to the Lord Jesus Christ in prayer. 

When Jesus was in the wilderness...He didn't rely on Himself to combat what Satan was throwing at Him...He relied on the Word of God.  The Spirit of God.  

Satan can and often does manipulate Believer's to misconstrue situations in order to divide.  Satan wants to destroy relationships and all too often we don't see the manipulation behind our part in doing so. 

People are in a war zone.  That's what this world is.  Believer's are behind enemy lines.  Even Believer's can be under rough situations and be burdened to the point of making rash decisions.  

Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness.  First. Not second, not later. Not after breakfast, not after lunch or after you get your list of things that you want done accomplished...First.

Second...look in the mirror. Are the words that come from you at all what Christ would say to others?  Are you speaking in the character of Christ?  If not, then perhaps you ought to seriously consider being silent. 

Third...you who are in Christ...and those who are not as well...your life is fully before the Lord Jesus Christ. 

You may hide your selfish thoughts and intentions, desires, from you, but you never will from Him. 

A great deal of our relationship problems are OUR perceptions of those situations. 

Stop, HALT.  If you are Hungry  Angry, Lonely, or Tired...STOP.  You are in danger of sinning.  

"Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen?  If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.” Genesis 4:6-7 NASB95. 

No personal excuse will be acceptable to Jesus as to why we ignored the Word of God in pursuit of something we desire. 

Satan prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour.  

Nothing is going to be an acceptable excuse for us in our lives before Jesus in destroying what He has been working on in us and in other's through us.  

When Believer's are divided...they need to take a step back and ask for help from the Spirit to understand what is going on.  Selfishness will never be the right answer. 

Jesus answered a man who asked how many times must he forgive his brother with basically one message: as long as it takes. 

We are to live a life that is furthering the growth of the character of Christ in each of us in Christ Jesus.  It's not about us getting our way.  Not about us getting our dreams or our desires.  Taking up our own cross means leaving everything to Jesus. 

Trust and obey for there's no other way.

Paul was angry at Mark for his leaving their ministry.  In time, the Spirit showed him he was wrong to do so and it was Paul who requested Mark join them again. 

Our anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires for us. 

Our wants our desires, if they are not in the character of Christ ought always be checked.  Our feelings will do more harm than good if we aren't careful. 

As someone once said "Words unspoken do not need to be unsaid".  Once you speak or act in anger or in any other emotion, and you hurt another...remember that God sees.  He knows the truth for He is truth.  

Living amongst people isn't going to be easy.  But we were created in the likeness of God as per the book of Genesis. We were created for relationships. Satan wants to destroy anything that God values.  He doesn't want people to exhibit the character of Christ. 

To trust in the Lord with all your heart means leaving your wishes and your desires your dreams with Jesus.  It also means living with others as He sees fit. 

It means striving to please Him in all that we do.  Even when people are possibly difficult to get along with.  Even when someone has said or done that we don't agree with.  It's still on us to still be the Christ-like example. 

We must extend grace to others just as Christ has extended it to us.  Unmerited favor.

Look at your relationships. Look at you.

Look in the mirror and seek to remove what you are doing that's hiding the character of Christ in you. 

Watch what it does to grow YOU in Christ Jesus.