The Benefits of the word of God (Part IV)

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All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,  that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17

We live in a world that is completely antithetical to the Kingdom of God. The spiritual battle is all around us, and it requires our focus, attention, and skill to overcome the obstacles on our path.  The above scripture tells us that not only the word of God establishes, corrects, and instructs us, but it also prepares us to live an overcoming life that is fruitful and pleasing to the Lord.

I have seen many Christians who thought they knew the word of God, but they didn’t! They assumed because they were around the Bible and the church that they knew the Bible, but in reality they didn’t have a practical knowledge of the word of God that helped them to live an overcoming and fruitful life. The scriptures are not meant to be just preached by a pastor or be heard in a Sunday school class. Christianity is a not a spectator sport. The devil does not engage only with those who want to engage with him. The scriptures tell us that he is like a roaring lion looking for whom he may devour (1 peter 5:8). That means whether an individual is engaged in the game or not, the enemy wants to win the battle over every person’s life! Nothing can replace our time in the word of God where the Lord uses the scriptures to equip us to live a fruitful and victorious life and learn how to fight in a spiritual battle waged against every soul! This requires every Christian to take their walk with God seriously and learn how to be equipped for living a God-honoring and fruitful life!

The scriptures equip us in variety of ways. Some scriptures warn us on issues such as foolishness, jealousy, lust, deception, and corrupt speech. These scriptures take the weeds out of our lives, so we can be prepared for the good seed of the word. Other scriptures are seeds to help us grow and bear good fruit. For example, the word of God shows us that as we abide in Christ, we can develop the fruit of the spirit and grow in love, joy, peace, patience, self-control, and many other Godly attributes. There are other scriptures that protect us from harming ourselves and others. For example, forgiveness protects our hearts, preserves our relationships, and equips us not to get baited by the enemy.  In Ephesians 6, Paul gives a description of the armor of God that teaches us how withstand the attacks of the enemy and our old nature. It tells us about the helmet of salvation, breastplate of righteousness, belt of truth, shield of faith, sword of the spirit, and our feet shod with the gospel of peace. All the elements of the armor are the equipment that the believer needs to be able to live a victorious life.

Without the knowledge of the word of God, we would not be equipped for battle and we would become a pawn in the devils’s hand. The word of God helps us to be alert, wise, and discerning. The better equipped we are, the better prepared we are to handle people and situations in a Godly manner and escape the corruption that is all around us.

Are you being equipped by the word of God? Do you put the scriptures to work in your practical day-to-day life? How well do you discern between your own ideas, the schemes of the enemy, and the will of God!?

 

 

 

The Benefits of the Word of God (Part III)

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All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,  that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17

I am so glad that the Lord does not leave us to figure out the Christian life on our own, but He has provided us His instruction book to grow and learn from! While we are saved through the work of Jesus, the walk of righteousness requires us to know His ways. One of the benefits of the word of God is that it instructs us in living a life that is pleasing to the Lord and is peaceful and pure!

The Holy Spirit uses the word of God to become our teacher and counselor. Some of us have not had good Christian role models., so we do not know how to live the Christian life. The Bible gives us the blueprint for right living by teaching us about many topics such as integrity, love, work, finances, forgiveness, purity, patience, and many other useful principles.

There are some who have never seen a good Godly marriage. The Bible teaches us about love and respect in a marriage and gives us prescription for a good marriage. This doesn’t mean that every problem is solved right away, but it helps us to understand that if we want the victory God has for us, we need to remain on His narrow path and look for His provision, deliverance, and blessing as we walk with Him.

“Now therefore, listen to me, my children, For blessed are those who keep my ways.
Hear instruction and be wise, And do not disdain it. Proverbs 8: 32-33

It’s interesting that we have no problem taking courses that benefit our education or furthering our career! Most of us are very intrigued and interested in learning, growing, and keeping ourselves up to date and marketable. However, if we are told that we need to learn how to study the word of God, we can find many excuses not to take a class or attend a Bible study. Jesus called us to make disciples, but a person needs to be willing to put themselves in a position to be discipled followers of Christ, and that includes being instructed with His word! His word is a blessing to us, for by it we learn God’s ways and learn to walk in them. We cannot have Godly wisdom apart from knowing the word of God and obeying it!

Unfortunately, we have many people in the body of Christ that are illiterate when it comes to the word of God, but they assume they’re spiritually mature because they’re older. The problem is when someone corrects them on a view or lifestyle that does not line up with the word of God, they can get easily offended or feel judged. This leads them to even going further away from the teaching/instruction of the Bible and opens the door for the enemy to have a field day with them.

As believers, we are called to be life-long learners. It doesn’t matter if we accepted Jesus yesterday, or we have known Him for the last forty years. Also, it is not significant if we were a pastor’s kid or we’re in a position of authority in the church right now. We all have more to learn, and we need to remain teachable. When we remain humble before God and hungry for the word of God, the Lord will teach us and guide us with His truth!

Do you know how to study the word of God? How often do you study the Bible? Do you attend a Bible study? What are new truths from the Bible that you have learned recently?

 

 

The Benefits of the Word of God (Part II)

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All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,  that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17

In the last devotional, I shared about the first portion of the passage that the word of God is profitable for it establishes us.  When the winds of various doctrines and false teachings blow, we can be firmly rooted and grounded in the word of God through being taught the scriptural doctrine.

Paul goes on to tell Timothy in the above passage that the word of God is also beneficial for reproof and for correction.

Definition of reproof (According to Strong’s Dictionary): a proof, that by which a thing is proved or tested, conviction.

Reproof and correction go hand in hand. The word of God gives us the opportunity to know the truth. His word re-calibrates our conscience and brings it into alignment with the will of God. We begin to develop greater sensitivity to the Holy Spirit. The Lord uses His word to speak to us personally and,  at times, to convict and correct us. If we don’t know the word of God, we can easily get off course.  In addition, we may think we are doing just fine, but not be in obedience to God!

I was just speaking with a relatively new believer who said that he just wants to make God smile! I asked him, “How do you know what pleases God and what makes Him smile!?” He gave an example that when we’re generous towards other people, God is pleased! I explained that being generous is an aspect of pleasing God, but the Lord has a lot to say to us in His word that we need to know and obey. The truth is that we may sincerely think that we are pleasing God, but still be clueless about what pleases Him! It is like having a vision issue but not not knowing what we can’t see.  Only when we put on corrective glasses, do we find out how much we missed and how much more clearly we can see everything!

For example, Ephesians 4:29 tells us, “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth…” When I read that verse, it causes me to examine my words and my recent conversations with people around me. If I have allowed gossip, attitude, half-truths, or disrespect come out of my mouth, the word of God will convict and correct me. He is telling me that if I want to please Him and reflect His love to others, I need to stop behaving in that manner. Now that I know this truth, making Him smile becomes more tangible and substantive rather than offer up a sweet little prayer and walk away feeling good about myself!

We have many people who claim to know God, but they do not know His word! They are just content with a short daily prayer making them think that they have a good relationship with the Lord. Praying is definitely an important aspect of a believer’s life, but it is the word of God that sets a plumb line for our lives, and it shows us God’s way of doing life!  His word corrects our course, so we won’t cause spiritual collisions for ourselves or others. Furthermore, the scripture tells us that when we pray according to the will of God that the Lord hears us, so we need to know what His will is in order to pray according to His will!

Make time for the word of God daily and allow it to build your conscience with His truth! Make room for the Holy Spirit to use the word of God to convict and correct you as you life your life!

 

The Benefits of the Word of God (Part I)

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But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.  But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, 2Timothy 2:13-14

We live in uncertain and fast-changing times. We are continually bombarded with onslaught of new information where many times, it is difficult to discern what is true or false anymore. Interestingly, Paul knew that these uncertain times would come, so he instructed Timothy by writing to him the value and the significance of the word of God. He first warned Timothy of the perilous times and perilous people who would have no regard for truth or godliness. He then expounded by stating that evil men and imposters will continue to increase. Paul stated that these individuals are deceived, and in turn, they will deceive others with false teachings and ideologies. Hence, Paul admonished Timothy in valuing God’s word.

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,  that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17

In the above passage, Paul reminded Timothy that the word of God is inspired by God. Men did not write the scriptures on their own, but they were led by the Lord to pen what He directed them to write. The word of God is alive and active, and it has the power to transform us! Since the scriptures are inspired by God, they are profitable for God’s people. Do we treasure the word of God more than silver, gold, or diamonds!?

Many people are looking for worldly profits by pursuing to make more money, get promoted, or win the lottery. They think if they can make it big, all their problems will be solved, and they can live life happily ever after. This thinking is also true for some believers. While they may speak of wealth, status, and promotion as not being important in life, but if you watch their lives and their choices, you’ll find that their priorities are not much different than the world’s except possibly attending church on Sundays!

God’s word is profitable because it brings order to people’s lives. It removes confusion and make the path of life clear and simple. The word of God gives us doctrine and foundational teaching about who God is and what He desires for His children. Being taught in doctrine is like laying a solid foundation for a house. It is not visible by others, but it is very important for the stability and the reliability of the building. When the winds and the rains come, a solid foundation allows the house to stand and not cave in to the pressure of the circumstances.

Similarly, doctrine establishes us and allows us to get settled and secure in our knowledge of God. Without solid doctrine, we can be like a ship tossed to and fro with every wind of teaching and doctrine that emerge in each generation. The scriptures give us a blueprint for who God is, what Jesus did for us, the role of the Holy Spirit, the problem with sin, Satan’s work in the earth, eternal life and judgment, and many other valuable foundational teachings.

Do you know how to study the scriptures? Do you find them profitable for your walk as a believer? Have you studied the various doctrines of your faith? Do you know the scriptures that back up your beliefs?

 

 

 

 

 

Success in Relationships (Part III)

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So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise.  Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:15-20 (NLV)

Having success in relationships is not easy, and we all have to do our part to ensure our relationships are thriving. In addition to being wise with our time and being thoughtful, the scripture tells us that we should be filled with the Holy Spirit rather being drunk with wine. Being drunk with wine does not help our relationship with the Lord or with others. As a matter of fact, it opens the door to the enemy to tempt us in variety of ways. However, being filled with the spirit makes us more aware of God’s purpose and will in our lives, and it helps us to remain in tune with Him!

The truth is that man in his carnal nature continues to crave for things that feed his/her flesh.  Our flesh is satisfied primarily with worldly things such as food, alcohol, sex, and entertainment. People out of boredom or curiosity crave various experimentations that lead them to alcohol, smoking, drugs, and pornography, and many find themselves bound to it. The things that feed our carnal nature do not feed our spirit man, and as a result we don’t have anything spiritually valuable to give our loved ones!

A lifestyle that feeds the flesh does not produce any good fruit, and it certainly does not provide the opportunity to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Instead, an atmosphere of worship fills us with His spirit, peace, and joy.  This gives us a greater desire to remain in His presence and continue to worship Him and sing songs to Him. Our flesh continues to be weakened the more we feed our spirit man and allow Him to rule and reign in our lives!

In an environment that people are under the influence of worldly vices, the relationships are not only weakened, but they can also be fractured because people speak and act in foolish and hurtful ways. On the other hand, when we are singing psalms and worshipping the Lord together, it allows us to keep our focus on Jesus and takes our eyes off of each other. This brings greater clarity to the issues at hand, and we no longer are bound by the dictates of our soul because we have been in the Lord’s presence! This is the environment that helps us to renew and reconcile our relationships with one another!

In the above passage, Paul ends by telling us to give thanks in everything! Giving thanks allows us to change our negative perspective and see God’s blessings and provision in our lives! One of the main areas of giving thanks should be for our loved ones. Imagine if you gave thanks to the Lord for your spouse everyday and actually mentioned the specific things that they bless your life with!  How about if you reached out to those that you have a difficult time with and told them that you love them and thank God for them!? How often do we give thanks for our loved ones especially when we are frustrated with them?

When we put the above passage to work in our lives, we will see change and transformation in our attitude as well as our relationships! Subsequently, when we focus on the passage in (Ephesians 5:21-33) about husbands and wives and how they should relate to one another, it’s a lot easier to live it out. We are not resenting the fact that we have to submit ourselves to our husbands or that husbands need to lay down their lives for their wives. Our marriages have a good foundation by using time wisely, being thoughtful about our choice of words and actions, being filled with the Holy Spirit, and continually giving thanks to God for everything including one another.  

Mediate on the above scripture and use it daily for a week or a month and be amazed at the results in your spiritual life as well as in your relationships!

 

Success in Relationships (Part II)

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So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise.  Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:15-20 (NLV)

Did you know that your thought life is a key to success in relationships!? The above scripture instructs us to be intentional and thoughtful! Thoughtless people speak before they think! Have you ever written a text or an email, and before you clicked the “send” button something told you to stop!? Later on, when you looked back you realized you could have made a big mess with your tone or choice of words if you had sent the text or the email in its original tone.

When we are thoughtful, it makes us slow down and think about what we say and how we state it. When I am corresponding with prospective employers, I don’t just type something quickly and send it out. I write it, wait a while, and then edit it. If time permits, I may leave it alone for a few hours or overnight. I review it again and ensure that it is written concisely and covers everything that I intended to state. Are we as thoughtful with our words when we are communicating with our loved ones!?

As believers, our holy occupation is to please Him! That means that regardless of how we feel or what we think of a person or a situation, we are called to walk in the spirit. The Holy Spirit gives us the self-control we need to slow down and to allow Him to calm our thoughts and emotions.

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled. 2Corinthians 10:4-6

Some people claim that to be real they need to share all their thoughts and feelings. Unfortunately, being real has been equated with dumping all the negative thoughts and emotions on others! To the contrary, the Lord calls us to be intentional with our thoughts and recognize the schemes of the enemy. When we surrender ourselves to “being real,” we come into agreement with the lies of the enemy and own those thoughts as ours. Hence, we look for ways to express them. However, we must recognize that not every thought that comes to mind should be welcomed or accepted as our thought. More importantly, not every thought that comes to our mind lines up with God’s truth!

The Bible tells us that we need to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. We cannot successfully walk in obedience to the Lord, if we don’t take control of our thought life! We also cannot have success in our relationships if we can’t control our thoughts and the actions that produce them. Our thoughts dictate our emotions which lead our will into action. Subsequently we speak and act on what we entertained in our thought life first. This impacts all our relationships! We may react inappropriately to a person or a situation because we have been incubating negativity in our minds and have not challenged and acknowledged them as lies or ungodly thoughts!

Today, make a plan to examine and challenge your thoughts before allowing them to take root in your heart! Hold every thought captive to the obedience of Christ and allow Jesus to be the gatekeeper of your mind! You will save yourself and others much headache and heartache, and you’ll have much success in your relationships!

 

Success In Relationships (Part I)

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One of the main areas of challenge in people’s lives is getting along with their loved ones. Interestingly, Jesus had only two major commandments and one of them was to love our neighbor as ourselves! So how do we successfully handle our relationships?

So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise.  Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:15-20 (NLV)

The above passage comes just before the exhortation to the married couples in (Ephesians 5: 22-33)  explaining the roles and responsibilities of a husband and wife in a Godly marriage. This passage describes that wife needs to submit to her husband and her husband needs to love her as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her. Since marriage is the most important earthly relationship and the closest neighbor that one may have,  we can apply the above scriptures (Ephesians 5:15-20) as a launching point to healthy and successful relationships including our marriages.

Live Wisely

According to the above scriptures, the first thing that we need to pay attention to is to live wisely in an evil age. The truth is that most of the time we don’t live life as if the days are evil! We generally get up in the morning and we are after accomplishing our own goals and agenda for the day. We’re doing just fine as long as the day goes as we expect it and things are going our way. However, if someone blocks us or tries to derail us from our goals,  that’s when we get angry and may lash out!

The truth is whether things are going our way or not, the enemy is still prowling around like a roaring lion looking to see who he can devour (1Peter 5:8). How does the enemy devour? By causing us to be tempted to get angry and to speak harsh and destructive words because we didn’t get our way! He influences us when we  take on his nature and devour others by our attitude or words because they blocked us from our goals! We need to remain alert and recognize that the enemy is after stealing, killing, and destroying relationships and marriages all the time. He is looking for people to come into agreement with his lies.  He knows the true evidence of our love for God is how we love others! If he can make us fail in that area, then he can show the world that our relationship with Christ has not changed us and we still behave as we used to.

The other aspect of being wise with our time is that we need to keep some buffer in our schedule during any given day. This gives room for the unexpected and allows us not to run through the day frantically trying to squeeze too much in any given day. The more overcommitted we are, the greater the stress level! That’s when a little mishap by our children, a few unwashed dishes in the sink,  or a bit of delay by a friend can send us through the roof! If things don’t go the way we expected, most likely, we are going to take out our stress on our loved ones and they are the victim of our overcommitments! Seemingly, they are blocking our goals while all along they were only living their lives- just not at our desired pace!

As you begin this week, plan to be intentional with your time and be cognizant of the enemy’s schemes. In addition, plan not to overcommit your time and see how more peaceful your relationships become!

 

 

As Iron Sharpens Iron (Part III)

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We live in such a disposable culture that we have no problem moving on from people and things easily.  We acquire cell phones, expensive cars, or modern appliances, but we can easily toss them away for a better version. Furthermore, our relationships are not what they used to be. We measure our connectedness by the number of friends, followers, and likes we have on social media. These trends create a shallow existence where we don’t have to get too involved with others, and we can presumably coast through life without the pain of working on relationships. However, the very thing that many of us avoid, which is truthful and loving relationships, is what gives us the opportunity to grow, to belong, and to become better.

We are designed to help each other grow and become sharper. Just as a knife is meant to be sharp or has no good use, so are we meant to be sharpened to be useful for the Kingdom. I sharpen my knives at home from time to time. When I sharpen them, I use a metal rod and slide my knife against it until they are sharper. The sounds made in the process of two pieces of metal rubbing against each other is an unpleasant and screeching sound which is not fun to listen to. The purpose is for my knives to be sharp, so they can function for the purpose they were designed. If I can’t sharpen them, pretty soon I would have to get rid of them because they are not doing what I bought them for. Similarly, we are meant to be sharpened by one another. We are not meant to live a comfortable and dull life by merely co-existing with one another! Growth requires us to remain engaged with others and work at relationships. The sharpening process will cause us to holler or cry at times, but in the end it will be worth it!

Wounds from a sincere friend are better than many kisses from an enemy. Proverbs 27:6

One of the cultural trends nowadays is that people are very sensitive to being judged by others. Unfortunately, that trend is also true in the body of Christ, so anytime anyone tells us anything that is contrary to what we like to hear, we feel judged! Rather than being offended or hurt by others, we should allow the Lord to examine our lives and be quiet before Him. This gives room for the Holy Spirit to show us our rough edges and soften us, so we can grow stronger in our relationship with the Lord and with others. I would rather have friends who talk to me truthfully about my flaws rather than having many people flattering me with nice words but not addressing any issues in my life.

If we are willing to be open to the sharpening of others, we will find greater satisfaction in life. Our true friends can also help us with our blindspots. Sometimes, the Lord puts people in our lives who are like us to show us the weak areas, and at other times, he places people opposite of us on our path to stretch us out of our comfort zone!

Are you committed to your relationships even when they make you uncomfortable? Do you see the value in those relationships that tell you the truth even when it hurts? If we want to be sharpened by God, we can’t just attend Bible studies or church services; we also need to role up our sleeves and get involved in relationships. When we tend our relationships, remain committed to the people the Lord has placed in our lives, and allow them to sharpen us as we sharpen them, the end result will be more Christlikeness and God is glorified!

 

As Iron Sharpens Iron… (Part II)

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As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend. Proverbs 27:17

A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. Proverbs 17:17

I shared in the last devotional the importance of appreciating our relationships and their ability to sharpen us in our walk with God. The truth is that being sharpened by another person can be hard and painful at times, and we can be tempted to get out of the relationship to ease the pain or the frustration.

Proverbs 17:17 brings a balance to Proverbs 27:17 as it relates to the quality of our friendships. When we have committed relationships and friends who love us at all times, then we have a safe place to be changed. God’s transformation process is not easy, and sometimes it’s painful and long! However, when we have committed people in our lives, we don’t have to pretend that we have it all together. We don’t have to defend our position or try to win the argument. We recognize that our differences can be a blessing in pushing us to consider another viewpoint and to become open to God on how we wants to change us.

Imagine the potential for growth when we are willing to work on issues with our loved ones without allowing the conflict to separate or divide us! What if instead of judging each other, we listened to each others’ heart!? What if we respected their preference and allowed God to remove our carnal prejudices and hang ups!? How about if we allowed God to use them to speak truth to those broken places in our lives, so we can grow powerfully! All those possibilities, would allow us to sharpen each other without being angry or feel less because someone has pointed out a flaw in our lives.

It’s interesting that when you sign up to join the military or the police force, you sign up to go through several grueling months of training where people are not going to be kind or gentle with you. Instead, they will yell at you and tell you that you are not good enough to make it, but most people are willing to put up with it for the end goal or outcome. How more so should we be willing to endure the sharpening of our friends, family members, and brothers and sisters in Christ knowing that the end goal is to be more Christlike!?

 

As Iron Sharpens Iron…(Part I)

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Having good relationships in life is truly a blessing, but it seems like finding the right relationships is challenging! We may find a person fun to be around for a couple of months. However, sooner or later, something they do makes us irritated and we don’t enjoy them like we used to. Just a note of caution this devotional is not about those who are physically or emotionally abuse to others. If you are in that kind of situation, please seek help.

As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend. Proverbs 27:17

The truth is that most people that we are attracted to are going to be different than us. Therefore, they will eventually rub us the wrong the way! Generally, we are attracted to those who have common values but a different personality from us. If you are a quiet or a shy person, you will probably gravitate towards an outgoing and bold person. If you are an aggressive person you may gravitate towards a more easy-going or passive person. This is also true in marriages.

While the differences can be a strength, many times, we are annoyed with those who operate differently. The above scripture reminds us that there is a purpose for the people that God has placed in our lives. We all have sharp edges or issues that can cause pain and frustration in others’ lives. Our  human tendency is to stay away from those kinds of people and not deal with them. However, we should appreciate and value those relationships. We need them and they need us! As the Lord directs us, we should stay in relationship with these individuals and be willing to do the hard work of mutual sharpening!

Having conflict and misunderstandings with others is part of human nature. The key is to understand the value of those conflicts in shaping us to become softer, gentler, and more patient with people. We don’t have to run away from those who cause us discomfort but be thankful that the Lord uses the person to grow us and mature us. In addition, we tend to hear God selectively based on the area of our strength, and friends who are different from us can help us in that area. For example, if you are an aggressive person, you may tend to think that being bold and forthright is always the right approach. However, if you have a friend or a spouse who is quiet, they may question your approach and help you to slow down before acting out of habit. This process helps us in hearing God differently and become more a balanced Christian!

Do you have people in your life who irritate you or cause you discomfort? What is about them that bothers you? Do you judge them for not being like you? Do you feel judged by them? If both parties have the capacity for a truthful conversation, it could open the door for honesty and vulnerability in the relationship. When we take away the barriers of carnality, we have the potential to to communicate about our differences with humility, strengthen the relationship, and to allow those differences to sharpen each other!