Ladies ~ focusing on ourselves or our trials is a very - TopicsExpress



          

Ladies ~ focusing on ourselves or our trials is a very self-destructive way to live. When we allow ourselves to focus on our trials and hardships, it has a damaging effect on our outlook of everything. As legitimate and as severe as our difficulties may be, there are no justifiable excuses to sin and not trust the Lord. Remember that everything that you are faced with is an opportunity to honor God and be salt and light in this dark and sinful world…even if your world is confined to one room or to the very secrets of your heart. It is tempting for everyone at every age and season of life to hone in on the negative things that we are all faced with throughout our lives, but we must realize that giving into temptation is a sinful choice (cf. James 1:13-15). To allow your mind to mull over negative things or to focus on your trials is a very self-destructive way to live. Negativity opens the heart up to anger, bitterness, griping, despair, lack of forgiveness, lack of thankfulness, self -pity, resentment, moodiness, jealousy, discontentment, and a host of other evils, making you feel justified due to the blindness, beguilement, and delusion that selfishness and brooding breeds. We are commanded in scripture to resist the natural inclinations of our sinful thoughts and instead, renew our minds and discipline ourselves to think on good and wholesome things. It is imperative to our spiritual stability and growth that we meditate on things that honor the Lord that we serve. When trials abound it makes it more difficult to do this so we need to make great effort to keep our focus where it belongs. “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Phil. 4:8). It is important that we seek to grow through the trials that we are presented with and not merely tolerate them. Trials are designed to make us grow closer to the Lord. Growth is a direct result of trusting the Lord as we apply His truths and yield to the Spirit in any given situation that we are faced with. If we do not yield to the Spirit in our trials, we will quench and grieve His work in our lives (cf. 1 Thess. 5:19; Eph. 4:30). “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given to him” (James 1:2-5). “More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (Rom.5:3-5). * This has been an excerpt from my book, “Woman of Virtue - Applying Proverbs 31 to the Twenty-first Century Woman” by Susan Brackley You can order this book by clicking this link: christianbook/Christian/Books/easy_find?Ntt=susan+brackley&N=0&Ntk=keywords&action=Search&Ne=0&event=ESRCG&nav_search=1&cms=1
Posted on: Sun, 04 Jan 2015 11:10:06 +0000

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