Response And Responsibility

Love you all, praying for you,
 
I just love God’s Word.  It tells you the truth, whether you want to hear it or not.  One of the things I hate the most – offense.  When people offend you, and how easy it is to take offense.  It’s so hard, because while they may be fully in the wrong, what you do next will be on you.  It seems in a way not fair, to be held accountable for my response, when they started it!  They shouldn’t have done that – I didn’t do anything to them!  So…  And God is still holding me responsible for my response?  Yup.  And my response depending on what I choose could bring greater guilt to me, than what they did will be demanded of them?  Yup.  I just hate sneaky stuff like that.  That character stuff that gets revealed in the heat of the moment, when you least expect it.  It would be easier to choose a Godly response if I know that offense was coming, but for reasons unknown to me… God rarely chooses to let me know in advance… Tests are like that – no advance warning.  That’s why it’s so important to be soaked in His Word – and have your armor on.  I can tell when I’m Word anemic, my responses get suckier.  When I’ve missed a day or two, or a few - in my PRISM time in God’s Word, the dead give-away is my responses.  Even If I’m in God’s Word – if I’m not seeking to apply it in this next moment – no matter what may come – my responses can reflect my old man, not the new creation I am in Christ.  That’s why God tells us to be watchful and prayerful – not just for the return of Christ, but so we will be ready to response with the love of Christ, to demonstrate a life that is controlled by Him, no longer by our old nature.  And to be ready to give a reason for the hope that is within us.  If my responses are poor, no one cares about the hope within me - you wouldn’t know it.  The hope within me should improve my response, and my response time.  Praise God, His mercy is waiting, and His grace is available for next time!  Praying that you will believe the best, expect the test, and be fully armed – with His Word, His Spirit, and the Humility that responds with His mercy and grace.  Praying that even though you don’t see that test coming, the Word of God will rise up within you, and you’ll default to His Spirit, so your old nature has less and less effect on you, and impact on what you do.  Old things are passed away, behold all things are become new!  Your response is your responsibility, but it’s not your power that brings victory – it’s His power.  Praise God, the more time you spend in His Word, and His Spirit, in Prayer and in Worship – the easier it becomes to respond with the love of Christ.  And if you mess up, He heals and forgives.  He will help you next time – He promised. 
 
Love you all,
dad