We have been deceived over the years. We have been led to believe that if we quit doing all the “bad things” and go to church life will get easier. As much as we want to believe that, we have the facts that it is not true. When we are honest with ourselves, there are no characters in the bible that experienced life like that. I can attest to one thing, joy and happiness are available at levels unexplainable when we get in a true, honest sincere relationship with Jesus.
These simple questions in nature pack an intensity that can cause us to pull away. The enemy will rush in and divert us in an instant to avoid such truth and growth. Do not fear the Holy Spirit. It is a gift in you when you accepted Jesus as your savior. The challenge is the we have been doing all the guiding of the spirit, instead of the other way around. When you face these questions, first of all, don’t lie in your answers. You are only lying to yourself.
Your conscious and your heart know the truth. Just get it out there on paper or in writing. That is the first step. If your answer is “no”, then be honest and write “no”. If you know from the truth you have read and experienced that your answer needs to be something it is not, write that down. Begin dialog with your Holy Spirit with the matter.
When you know that there are areas in your life that need to be addressed, lay them out before yourself. Pray for His guidance in your life. This might be the same pinnacle that you have approached other times in your life and had to back away from it. Allow your self to transform.
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. – Romans 12:2
The journey may feel difficult, but some times we are bringing too much along with us.
We always want to be there, or get there, but it is that journey that prevents us from the joy we can experience. I know a few people that do not fly in airplanes, they travel with ground transportation, the causes a lot of limitations in their lives. They know they want to go somewhere and experience something, but the travel is too hard and does not seem to benefit the effort. Don’t let your Christian experience be that way. Change is not easy. In fact it is difficult. We must understand that to be able to experience the will of God, which is what is good and acceptable and perfect, we have to allow change go occur. Change is not going to happen overnight or one weekend. It is a process. Just like the scripture indicates, we will need to test our thoughts and our behaviors to allow our minds to be transformed. Transformation is a process.
By all means, do not feel like you are going to be paraded in front of the group and humiliated with your answers. This is a key point of the journey when you can engage, trust, learn and grow like never before, but you have to take action. I hope and pray to see each of your soon. May the grace He provides soothe and comfort you, and may His might Holy Spirit swirl within you the desires He has placed in your heart!