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Refined by Fire: 2 Awesome Traits Produced Only Through Trials
Autor: gmapublishing :: Views: 39 ::
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Have you been through some rough times and you're looking for some answers for what good could possibly come out of all your trouble? Well if you know that there is some work that needs to be done on your character, then God may be allowing your trouble so that He can further develop your character. There are two specific areas that I feel many people need help from God in developing that, if not developed, will prevent them from experiencing God's Promised Land that He wants us to walk in.
God wanted to work in the lives of the Israelites to produce sanctification and humility. He wants to produce the same things in our lives. God knows what we need to become in order for Him to use us for His great purposes. Humility and a pure heart are two of the central characteristics of those who have done great things for God throughout the bible and still today.
"By humility and fear of the Lord are riches and honor and life." Proverbs 22:4
The Lord can only do great things in the life of sanctified people because if you're still attached to the world and have the bad habits that you used to have before you met God, then you will abuse the gifts of God and corrupt them. If you're not a humble person then you will abuse people and fight against God for your own will. Let's look at these two works of God in our lives further.
? Cleanse Our Hearts from Sin. God allows us to be fruitless and deal with the consequences of our own sin in order to let us truly feel the effects of sin. If God didn't let us bear some of the pain of our sins then we would continue in it longer because we would still be enjoying the shallow benefits without understanding the death trap that we're ultimately walking in. God is so great that He would rather us suffer more now so He can bless us more later, than for us to continue in our sin and experience the full measure of eternal suffering associated with sin. Only as we allow the Word of God to cleanse our hearts, minds, and daily lives will we become vessels that are worthy of bearing His glory and gifts in our lives.
God called the Israelites out into the desert after He miraculously saved them from the Egyptian oppression they were under. He then wanted to bring them through the process of getting all the old junk out of their lives, hearts, and minds that they had built up during their time in Egypt. The desert was necessary because there are no distractions or 'crutches' that they could depend on or that they were familiar with so as to get caught up in the same oppression they were in. Well it turns out that the desert itself became a distraction because they didn't want to eat the food that God prepared for them, they wanted to eat what they used to eat. They complained, murmured, and grumbled against what God wanted to do for them. We will only lengthen our days in the desert if we resist God's process of cleansing out our lives from all the junk that we built up before we accepted God into our life. This point brings us right into the next work God wants to perform in our lives during trials.
? Develop Humility. God can only cleanse our hearts and renew His Spirit in us as we humble ourselves to His will. Humility is one of the most powerful weapons of fruitfulness that I've ever seen. Humility simply allows God to do His will in our lives without resistance and complaint. Humility keeps us away from boasting and acting in pride which is the arch enemy of anyone planning to live for God or be successful in life. So many people are in heavy debt because of this American trend of consumerism.
So many people are ridden with credit card debt because of buying expensive clothes they don't need, the latest electronics, the highest quality appliances, and the most luxurious cars all just to impress other people and to please themselves. A humble consumer would buy only what they could afford with cash instead of financing a plasma screen for the next 3 years. America is so filled with the spirit of consumerism that we as Christians need extra guard over our selves if we plan on allowing God bless us in life. The self-centered Christian who falls prey to this spirit of consumerism will find that God has no place to bless them with His abundance and success because they're so busy trying to take care of things themselves. Humility keeps a person grounded which is necessary for a person with any place of authority and position. God will allow us to lose in life to develop this crucial characteristic trait of every great person and leader. "For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." Luke 14: 11
According to polls reported by USA Today, Americans lie- and are lied to- much more than we realize. Citing statistics from the book The Day America Told the Truth, the newspaper reported that 91% of Americans lie routinely. 36% of those tell dark, important lies, 86% lie regularly to parents, 75% lie to friends, 69% to spouses, 81% lie about feelings, 43% lie about income, 40% lie about sex. According to a study by the American Management Association, U.S. businesses annually lose over $10 billion to employee pilferage and commercial bribery, over $4 billion to embezzlement, $2 billion to shoplifting, etc.
We as Christians must stand in humility and honesty. We must not seek people's approval but God's. Be encouraged because of your trials knowing that God wants to make you better so that He can truly bring you into your Promised Land of purpose.
Source: Free Articles
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