Detours
I recently received an unexpected
rebuke; a spanking from the Lord. This rebuke occurred as I
was reading in John 21 . Peter declares his love for Jesus and Jesus commands Peter to, "Feed My sheep". My initial thought was, Lord, I love You, too. Yes, I will feed Your sheep. I felt compelled to keep reading, however, and as I did, my daydreaming about this sweet declaration of love and devotion began to fade and heaviness overcame me.
The passage continues with Jesus predicting how Peter would glorify the Father through his death. Peter's response to Jesus incredible statement? He takes his eyes off of Jesus, turns and sees John following them and responds by asking, what about him? To this Jesus answered, "What is that to you? You follow Me!"
"What is that to you? You follow Me!" I had been following Jesus, hadn't I? But the conviction of the Holy Spirit was so strong that I began to examine myself. Suddenly, it was as if I had been splashed with cold water and awakened from a deep sleep. I came face to face with the ugly truth. For the most part I was steadily moving toward my destination, but I was taking unnecessary detours that were causing me unnecessary consequences and frustration.
Out of a deep amazing love my Heavenly Father was telling me that it was time to grow up. I needed to keep my eyes on Him. There wasn't time for detours anymore. My detours? Jealousy and a need for validation and approval from others.
Jealousy. Not something that
most Christians like to talk about, but let's be honest; we
all struggle with it. It could be over simple petty material
things, a person's appearance, someone receiving recognition
and a place of honor above us, or even a close friend being
blessed with the desire of our hearts. Regardless of the
catalyst, jealousy is pure selfishness and if gone unchecked
and unrepented, leads to disorder and every evil practice. -
James
3:16
What is the belief that feeds this ugly little creature? It is plain and simple; it's the idea that I know what is the best for me and I know when it is time to get it. When I am giving in to jealousy, my trust is in myself and not in God's goodness, timing and desires for me. Jealousy can manifest itself as indifference or over achievement, a poor or inflated self image, or as gossip and slander. It is a weapon used by the enemy, the devil, to take our eyes off of Jesus and to place them elsewhere. It distracts us from accomplishing those good works God has prepared for us and in extreme cases, keeps us from fulfilling our destiny.
If you continually struggle with jealousy, I encourage you to open your heart fully to God. I DID!Confess your disbeliefs and let God heal you of the wounds that caused you to distrust Him. Replace the lies with the truth of God's Word. Meditate and build yourself up in your spirit so that when the tests come, and we all know they will, your response will be one of love and not jealousy.
Brothers/Sisters it is time for us to grow up.
The Lord Jesus Christ is coming and He wants us ready and
expectant. He loves us more than we can imagine. Listen! He
is calling out to each of us saying, "You follow me!" May
our eyes stay continually focused on Him as we respond, "Yes
Lord!"
If you continually struggle with jealousy, I encourage you to open your heart fully to God. I DID!Confess your disbeliefs and let God heal you of the wounds that caused you to distrust Him. Replace the lies with the truth of God's Word. Meditate and build yourself up in your spirit so that when the tests come, and we all know they will, your response will be one of love and not jealousy.
Brothers/Sisters it is time for us to grow up. The Lord Jesus Christ is coming and He wants us ready and expectant. He loves us more than we can imagine. Listen! He is calling out to each of us saying, "You follow me!" May our eyes stay continually focused on Him as we respond, "Yes Lord!"
