You see, often it is the little things that bring us down – not the outright sins. Sure, we get to those in time. But it is the little things that ultimately lead to the big things. It is the gray areas that ultimately lead us to those black-and-white areas. That is why we have to look at these things carefully and ask ourselves a few questions:
- Does it build me or another up, for the better?
- Or does it tear apart, bring down.
- Does it bring me under its power, it is heavy, a burden.
- Or does it lighten the load.
- Do I have an uneasy conscience about it?
- Or does it feel like something someone I really respect would support?
- Is is something that annoys, judges, it a put down or negative?
- Or, is it something that encourages, supports, or expresses value and worth.
(As I use to hear and continue to preach....if I cannot say something good, then say nothing at all. OR....if I have to criticize or say something negative; first I must say three positives.)
In the life of every Christian, there will come a temptation to compromise, to back off, to not take a stand for what is right, to not say what is true. We are all going to be faced with this temptation in one way, shape, or form.
You never will be temptation-proof any more than you will be bulletproof. But at the same time, if you are walking closely with God, sin will not have the impact it had on you before. To what you are going to yield yourself and to whom you are going to yield yourself is your choice.
As the apostle Paul wrote to the believers in Corinth, “You say, ‘I am allowed to do anything’ – but not everything is good for you. And even though ‘I am allowed to do anything,’ I must not become a slave to anything” (1 Corinthians 6:12 NLT).
I don’t want to be under the power of anyone or anything but Jesus Christ. So ask yourself these questions about the things you think you have the freedom to do
tHINK aBOUT tHESE tHINGS
No comments:
Post a Comment