Right In The Middle....♡♡♡

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record  of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres"  - 1 Cor 13:4-7

I had a moment sometime this week where I said to my husband - "mehn it can feel like it is so difficult to be a Christian" -. Of course it was said out of frustration, because I was struggling with about three or four of the above characteristics of love as prescribed by the bible. It is very easy to be all of these things when the sun is shinning and there are sweet rain showers, but a different story all together when it feels like something has to give. Being Christlike can feel like a tall order, but I believe it is mostly the case when we are relying on our strength.

I know for me, when I am deficient in any of the traits above my heart struggle is with the "ugly" I am seeing manifest before my eyes. Like you see your sin before you like a dirty piece of clothing - eeew. You desire to be like Christ, but there are still desires to hang unto self preservation. In our attempt to self protect, we miss out on the life changing transformation God wants to do in our hearts. Thanks be to God that time and time again he allows pressure in our lives, so that He can prune us. Truly separating the wheat from the shaft.

"Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds" - John 12:24

Dieing to oneself is not something that happens in an instant. It is not even a walk in the park. However it is a necessary thing, if we desire to be more like Christ. It isn't also something that requires our own human effort. There are aspects of our character that we must cry out to God to help us with. Especially the ones that we have grown so deeply rooted in. And if it means fasting for a period of time to show God that we hunger and thirst for his righteousness, then let us do so. Some of them probably only show up, triggered by the difficult people on our paths, but it is still no excuse.

And so I encouraged myself this week, as I gazed upon my own weaknesses and reminded myself that my shortcomings were exactly the reason why Jesus came. I am encouraging you too, don't get frustrated about your "failings" instead let us cry out to God sincerely to help us with our struggles as we strive to live as His image bearers.

And so my dear friends, as we wind down the year 2020 and look forward to starting another year.  I hope that like me, your one important prayer point will persist - "Please Lord, help me to be more like you". Please Lord help me shine for you!

               "When things change inside you, things change around you" - W

So here is me wishing you an awesome new years celebration and a fantastic 2021, because by the next Monday you read from me, we will be in the new year hehe ♡♡♡

Love,

SR