I was talking to a friend (I will call Stella) yesterday who told me that she had a breakdown of a 35 year relationship with her friend (I will call Karen) due to a political disagreement.  It began with a Facebook discussion, and it eventually led to communicating privately. The problem escalated when Karen claimed that she and her sisters were Christians to enforce her views. Stella remarked that since Karen and her sisters believed that all roads lead to the same God, they cannot be Christians. In addition, Stella emphasized that Karen’s sisters were all liberals, and liberals cannot be Christians.  This caused a great offense in Karen’s heart, and she felt judged by Stella. Karen told Stella that they no longer can be friends unless Stella apologizes for her comments. Stella and I had a very good discussion about this situation, and it reminded me of the subject I have been writing about this week. I think, it would benefit all of us to know on how to deal with these type of sticky situations.

Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. Colossians 4:5

First of all, convoluting the discussion of politics and faith is very dangerous, and it muddies the water to have a serious conversation with someone about salvation. In the heat of a political discussion, it is not the best time to tell someone that they are not a Christian. The person may feel that we are just trying to gain the upper hand in the argument. If the salvation of our friend is a point of concern to us, we should prayerfully consider another time to connect with them and have that important conversation. We need to mindful that their need for Salvation is much more critical than winning any political discussion and keep it in perspective when discussing politics.

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; 1Peter 3:15

Secondly, if we are going to address someone’s questionable beliefs about Christianity, we need to do it with humility and gentleness. We can ask them questions rather than making direct remarks about their that causes walls to be erected. Paul did this masterfully in Athen (See Acts 17). We can ask them, “Do you know what the Bible says about this subject?” or “Are you aware what Jesus said about this issue?” Sometimes we may not be prepared to have a Biblical answer or offer a scripture related to the subject. In this situation, we can challenge ourselves and the person to search the scripture and talk at a later time about our findings. This approach can also apply to those who truly are believers but have differing views on politics or other subject matters.

Thirdly, Christianity cannot be equated to a political party or left/right leaning views.  People choose their politics primarily based on their family of origin, their history, and their experience with civil government. Many people do not agree with everything a political party stands for, but they lean towards one because of certain issues that are a priority to them. Over the years, I have met and discussed politics with sincere believers from various political leanings. It is important not to draw a conclusion on someone’s faith purely based on their political standing. 

There is much hatefulness going on in our culture right now. In addition, the enemy is after God’s people to be divided over political issues. As God’s people we should be the ones who set the standard for how to discuss issues with honor and respect. We may disagree on some issues but still work together for the betterment of all Americans. If we allow political labels to divide us, then there is no hope for society since we as Christians should know better. The best earthly systems and governments of the world will not last through eternity. We need to be in the business of helping solve societal problems but never lose focus that the most important assignment is to grab people from the pit of hell regardless of their political leanings. 

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age,  looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,  who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works. Speak these things, exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you. Titus 2:11-15

Chapter 2 of Titus describes the qualities of a healthy and functioning church. Paul is exhorting Titus by reminding him that the grace of God through Jesus opens the door for a righteous life. Therefore, we are called to live a pure life and encourage, exhort, and rebuke others to do the same. When we reject a correction because we feel judged, we could be basically despising the messenger. When we feel judged by people, it can abort God’s process to receive truth, and we can even get further away from His will. This may also lead us to seeing others as our enemies.

None of us are perfect, and we will do things that are out of alignment with God’s will. The devil’s goal is to make things look acceptable, so we can believe we have the freedom to do whatever we want. However, the same enemy who whispered in our ear to go ahead and do it, he will now begin to whisper shame and guilt in our lives and tell us that we live hypocritical lives.

God’s method is completely the opposite of the enemy. From the onset, He tells us the truth about the proper boundaries of right and wrong, and He has empowered us through the Holy Spirit to keep His standard in life. If we fall short of His standard, He uses several different means to bring it to our attention, so we get back on track with Him. When we read and study the Word of God, He uses His word as a search light in our hearts. In addition, the Holy Spirit, our counselor, convicts us in our hearts to get it right. If those methods don’t work, God can use people to speak to us about a situation in our lives. His ultimate goal is for us to admit we are wrong, repent, and get it right with Him.

Obviously, not every correction from others is led by the Lord. People can have their own issues, or they can mean well but impose their own preferences on us. However, the moment we feel judged by others, we close off the communication that allows God to show us something regarding an issue at hand. When we feel judged, we don’t even give it a chance to find out if there is any truth in what was stated that we requires our attention.

If we are the ones who bring the correction, we have to be careful to purify our own hearts from judgment, jealousy, and legalism. We need to ascertain whether the issue we are about to discuss is our preference or a scriptural mandate. Furthermore, the scriptural mandates can be applied differently by different people, and one has to be careful not to expect a cookie-cutter application of scripture. For example, the love and respect between a husband and wife can look very different from one couple to another. While love and respect should be evident in a relationship, one cannot impose their own experience or preference on another couple.

The more we are open to God and to His people, it gives us the opportunity not to be deceived by the enemy or by our own desires. When we are able to discern between the voice of truth versus man’s opinion, we can humbly receive correction and let go of other things that do not apply to us. 

As the Post Modern philosophy continues to permeate our culture and the academic world, truth is sold to the highest bidder and the loudest voice! The standard of right and wrong have been replaced with subjective feelings and personal opinions. Unfortunately, Christians have not been exempt from this either. It seems that our relationship with Christ has been condensed to our five favorite scriptures that we like to quote from time to time. Sadly, some use these scriptures out of context creating confusion for the believers and unbelievers alike. 

These are tumultuous times, and we, as the body of Christ, must confront these issues in our own lives first. One of the consequences of the lack of Bible knowledge and subjective truth is that nowadays it is easy for people to feel judged by others. If someone tells them something that they don’t like to hear, they consider it being judged. This leads them to being offended, and it eventually causes break up of relationships and division. All along, the devil is probably is smiling and thinking that he didn’t have to do much work for God’s  people to get derailed from His purpose.

Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw.” Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.”  The woman answered and said, “I have no husband.”

Jesus said to her, “You have well said, ‘I have no husband,’  for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly.” The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. John 4: 15-19 

I wonder how the above story would have looked like had it occurred these days!? First, Jesus did not mention anything to the woman about God’s love for her. Second, He spoke to her in allegory about being the living water, which initially, she did not understand. Third, Jesus proceeded to tell her that she was married five times before, and now she was living with someone who was not her husband. Basically, He exposed the woman’s sins! The woman at the well could have felt judged, ashamed, and offended. To the contrary, she called Him a prophet. If she had rejected Jesus, she would have missed out on the transformed life He had to offer her.

Nowadays, it is difficult to talk about sin of any form because people feel judged by others. How often do you hear preachers talk about divorce, fornication, gluttony, abortion, or adultery? Many believers would rather concentrating on God’s love and His great plan for people. The new believers miss out on the truth that God has called them to grow up and put our childish ways aside. No wonder we have a culture of entitlement! We make it sound like God is begging people to have a relationship with Him and that He is desperately in need of them.  

While God loves every person, it is not the whole story! If we were not sinners, Jesus did not have to die on the Cross for us. God called us to Himself and He intends to develop the image of Christ in us. He loves us so much that He wants to give us a transformed life and pull us out of the miry pit of sins that have kept us in bondage for years!

The truth is that when God convicts of sin, it is to realign our lives with His good plan. If someone tells us something that exposes our sin, it would be better to admit to it rather than blame the person for judging us. Why are we so afraid of man judging us, but we are not afraid of the consequences of sin!?

One of the privileges of walking with God is our delight in God. Being delighted takes us out of the realm of following a religion and allows us to relate to our Lord in a personal way! God also takes pleasure in His children and enjoys being delighted in us.

3Trust in the Lord, and do good;
Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
4 Delight yourself also in the Lord,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:3-4

23The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord,
And He delights in his way.
24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down;
For the Lord upholds him with His hand. Psalm 37:23-24

The word “delight” has two different meanings in the above scriptures:

Verse 4: Delight (Strong’s H6026): to be soft, be delicate, and to be dainty.

Verse 23: Delight (Strong’s H2654): to delight in, take pleasure in, desire, be pleased with

1. of men: to take pleasure in, delight in, to delight, desire, be pleased to do,

2. of God: to delight in, have pleasure in, to be pleased to do, to move, bend down.

Our relationship with the Lord is not an equal relationship, therefore, our delight looks different from God’s delight. When we delight in God, it is the declaration of our trust and confidence in the Lord. Being delighted, means that we are willing to be pliable, soft, and vulnerable. We don’t allow the issues of life cause us to have a hardened heart towards God. We don’t get off the Potter’s wheel. When we delight in God, we are yielded, and the Lord is able to direct our path and guide us into His plans and His purpose for our lives.

God’s delight looks different. He is the one in charge. When God delights in us, He has the power to approve of us and bend His ear towards our needs. The delight of God is an awesome favor. It is like Esther when she came before the King uninvited. She could have lost her life, but the King extended his scepter towards her and showed his favor (See Esther 5:1-3). Similarly, when the God of the universe delights in a man, it is the greatest complement and blessing in one’s life. To know that He is pleased with us, fills us with awe, security, and significance. He bends His ears to hear our prayers and shows Himself strong on our behalf. 

We always have a reason to delight in the one who is trustworthy and faithful. He has shown His love towards us through His son and has made a way for us to be in relationship with Him! The beauty of our relationship with the Lord is that as we trust His love towards us, we give Him the reigns of our lives, and He directs our steps. The steps we take produce fruitful results, and they glorify God. The Lord takes pleasure in seeing our lives fulfill His purpose, and He delights in us. As you can see, God’s delight and our delight create a life-giving cycle of faith.

Read Psalm 37. Begin the week by delighting yourself in the Lord, being faithful, and doing good wherever you go. This begins a cycle of faith that will reward you with His delight, His peace, and His joy!

Nathanael was not the only one who had a wrong perception of Jesus based on His background (See Part IV).

Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these parables, that He departed from there.  When He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, “Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works? Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas?  And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?” So they were offended at Him.

But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house.”  Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief. Matthew 13:53-57

When Jesus went to Nazareth, His own people were offended by Him and did not believe that He was anyone special. They were familiar with His parents Mary and Joseph, the carpenter. They also knew His brothers and sisters.  Some of His countrymen may have known Jesus since He was a child and could not believe that somehow he be in a position to teach them. Some of His peers may have been jealous of Him. They knew He had wisdom and had done mighty works, but they could not accept His works. Consequently, His countrymen did not receive Him because of their perception problem. The scripture tells us that Jesus did not do many miracles there and the book of Mark tells that he only healed a few sick people in Nazareth (See Mark 6:5). 

The people’s pride, jealousy, and their sense of familiarity with Jesus caused them not to honor Him. Their lack of acceptance was a detriment to their lives as they missed what Jesus could have done among them.

If we have been a Christian for any length of time, we can also develop a perception problem. We may see young people who grow spiritually and begin to take on leadership roles. In our eyes, they were just a kid a few years ago! There are others who walked in our church with many issues years ago, but God is using them doing to do mighty work in His kingdom. However, we continue to see them the way they were when we first met them. There are others that we are too familiar with, and when God speaks through them, we want to ignore it because it cannot be that important!

“He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward. And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward.  Matthew 10:40-41

We all need perception adjustment from time to time. If we find it hard to receive from certain people or accept their ministry, we should examine our hearts. We need to find out if we have pride, jealousy, or familiarity with this person that causes us not to take them seriously. God rewards people when they receive His representatives for His intended purpose! God’s representatives are going to bring a blessing to those who receive them if we welcome their anointing in our lives. 

The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found Philip and said to him, “Follow Me.”  Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.  Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” And Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”

Philip said to him, “Come and see.” Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!” Nathanael said to Him, “How do You know me?”

Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”

Nathanael answered and said to Him, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”  Jesus answered and said to him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.”  And He said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.” John 1:43-51

Jesus was gathering His disciples and called them to follow Him. Philip invited Nathanael to see Jesus and join them, but Nathanael was reluctant. Nathanael’s perception was clouded with his prejudice towards those who came from Nazareth. Nazareth was a small Jewish town where everyone knew each other. This town was not known for anything special or unique, so it was easy to ignore those who came from that little town.

Nathanael’s mindset makes it easy for someone to look down on others and think of them as not good enough. This also happens in our modern day. Sometimes when people find out where we live, it leads them to draw conclusions about who we are based on our zip code. If we live in a small country town, some may draw conclusions about our education, wealth, or the type of job we hold.  On the other hand, if we live in a beautiful metropolitan area or an upscale suburb, people may assume that we are wealthy, educated, and successful. Whether those assumptions are valid or not, they still do not answer the most important questions. We still don’t know anything about the person’s character, experiences in life, or their need for Jesus.

The Lord could have chosen a more impressive family and place for Jesus to be raised in, but He choose chose Mary and Joseph as the parents and Nazareth as His little hometown.  God was looking for people who were not going to be distracted by Jesus’ outward characteristics but search deeper for who He really was. Nathanael made assumptions about Jesus not because he knew Him personally but because of the town Jesus came from. 

Nathanael’s perception completely changed when Jesus prophetically spoke about him and was stunned at Jesus’ knowledge of him. Immediately, Nathanael professed Jesus as the Son of God and the King of Israel. That was a major shift in perception. He realized that Jesus knew him better than most people he associated with. Jesus was not focused on Nathanael’s outward appearance, nor was He have moved by Nathanael’s perception of Him. Jesus was in tune with what God said about him and was able to see Nathanael for who he really was. It’s interesting that Jesus saw Nathanael as someone who had no deceit in him even though he had a wrong perception about Jesus. Nathanael’s opinion of Jesus did not change Jesus’ view of Nathanael!

We may be righteous people but still have a need of perception adjustment. Drawing conclusions based on people’s outward appearance is a carnal and lazy way to do life. We need to challenge ourselves to go beyond people’s outward appearances, race, ethnicity, or where they live, and develop a Godly perception of others. This allows us to be in tune with the Lord and to do His effective work on the earth. 

Contrary to Nabal’s rash response, Abigail approached David with great honor. Abigail is a good example of someone who had a clear perception in the midst of a lot of noise and animosity against David. 

Now one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal’s wife, saying, “Look, David sent messengers from the wilderness to greet our master; and he reviled them. But the men were very good to us, and we were not hurt, nor did we miss anything as long as we accompanied them, when we were in the fields. They were a wall to us both by night and day, all the time we were with them keeping the sheep.  Now therefore, know and consider what you will do, for harm is determined against our master and against all his household. For he is such a scoundrel that one cannot speak to him.”…..

Please forgive the trespass of your maidservant. For the Lord will certainly make for my lord an enduring house, because my lord fights the battles of the Lord, and evil is not found in you throughout your days.  Yet a man has risen to pursue you and seek your life, but the life of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of the living with the Lord your God; and the lives of your enemies He shall sling out, as from the pocket of a sling. And it shall come to pass, when the Lord has done for my lord according to all the good that He has spoken concerning you, and has appointed you ruler over Israel, that this will be no grief to you, nor offense of heart to my lord, either that you have shed blood without cause, or that my lord has avenged himself. But when the Lord has dealt well with my lord, then remember your maidservant.” 1 Samuel 25:14-17 & 28-31

Abigail listened to her servant about what had transpired on the field. She was informed about the kindness and the help David’s men had given her servants. She also understood that not only her husband had greatly offended David, but he also had exasperated David to the point of putting the household in danger.

Consequently, Abigail prepared large amounts of food and rode her donkey to meet David. Besides the food preparation, she must have prepared herself by asking the Lord’s  intervention in the situation in approaching David.

Abigail could have carried herself as a wealthy woman who is trying to just compensate for the efforts of David’s people in protecting her servants, but that was not the case. Her clear perception about David  caused her to approach him as a servant and with great humility. She reminded him of his victories when he used a sling to kill Goliath. She called him, her lord and declared that he is the future king of Israel. Contrary to her husband Nabal who considered David a runway slave, Abigail recognized God’s anointing on David as the future king.

It is alarming that with our ease of access to technology and social media, we spend less time in getting clear perception of a situation, and we spend more time in arguing and sharing posts that may not bear true or bear any good fruit. Clear perception is essential in how we handle life!

A friend contacted me this week and asked me if I can recommend a truthful article about what is happening in the recent political debate this week. My flesh wanted to quickly give her my opinion, but my spirit led me not to influence her based on my limited facts. So I told her that I am still gathering my facts about the history of this situation, and I would be better prepared to discuss it in a couple of days. If we avoid hastiness and do our due diligence to gather facts from reliable sources, we can have a more productive and thoughtful conversation about the well-being of our nation. The current frenzy is a byproduct of cloudy perception producing rash reactions. This is very dangerous for the future of our country!

What does it take to have a clear perception? First and foremost, it requires humility. Second, we can’t let the noise around us shape our perspective. Third, it requires us to slow down and gather our facts. Fourth, we need to inquire of the Lord and discern between truth and lies about a situation. Let’s put this into practice and see the good fruit of it in our lives as well as our society. 

When David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep,  David sent ten young men; and David said to the young men, “Go up to Carmel, go to Nabal, and greet him in my name.  And thus you shall say to him who lives in prosperity: ‘Peace be to you, peace to your house, and peace to all that you have!  Now I have heard that you have shearers. Your shepherds were with us, and we did not hurt them, nor was there anything missing from them all the while they were in Carmel.  Ask your young men, and they will tell you. Therefore let my young men find favor in your eyes, for we come on a feast day. Please give whatever comes to your hand to your servants and to your son David.’ ” So when David’s young men came, they spoke to Nabal according to all these words in the name of David, and waited. Then Nabal answered David’s servants, and said, “Who is David, and who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants nowadays who break away each one from his master.  Shall I then take my bread and my water and my meat that I have killed for my shearers, and give it to men when I do not know where they are from?” 1 Samuel 25:4-11

God had already anointed David to be the future king, but at this time he was on the run trying to save his life from the hands of Saul. David had gathered warriors around him, but he did not have the constant provisions and resources to provide for them. Consequently, he tried to protect others who did not have adequate protection, such as Nabal’s servants, in the hope of being  compensated with food and  provision for his people.

Not only Nabal did not appreciate the protection of David’s people, but he also offended David by stating that he was a runaway servant. Nabal’s perception was clouded by his own pride and foolishness. He may also had been influenced by Saul’s narrative about David.  Furthermore, Nabal was a rich man, and he may not have seen a need for a bunch of nobodies protecting his people. Therefore, he did not find a need to give David and his people any attention or provision. His offensive gesture and clouded perception could have cost the loss of many lives in his household.

If Nabal had taken the time to talk to his servants, he would have found out how helpful David’s warriors were to his people. Because of caustic attitude, his servants were too scared to talk to Nabal, but they shared about David’s people and their helpfulness with his wife Abigail. She was willing to hear what the servants had to say, and it helped her to gain clarity in the situation (See 1 Samuel 25:14-17).

To have a clear perception, it requires us to patiently weigh the situation and not try to make rash decisions. We also need to be open to receiving input from those around us. Just because one is wealthy or successful, it does not mean that they have all the answers. Those who have the relevant information for our decision-making can help to clarify our perception.  If Nabal had put aside his own preconceived notions about David and had paid attention to what his servants had to say about him, he would have had a chance to clarify his view of David. 

Do you invest enough time to gather the relevant facts before you form your opinion? Are you open to receiving input to allow it to change your perception?

Our Perception is critical in navigating various situations and evaluating the people we are faced with. If our perception is accurate, it gives us the ability to know the mind of God and to align ourselves with His plan in any given situation.

Definition of “to perceive”  (Hebrew Yada): to know, to perceive, to perceive and see, find out and discern, to discriminate, distinguish, to know by experience, to be skillful in, to make known (Strong’s Concordance).

Then David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” And the people answered him in this manner, saying, “So shall it be done for the man who kills him.”  Now Eliab his oldest brother heard when he spoke to the men; and Eliab’s anger was aroused against David, and he said, “Why did you come down here? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride and the insolence of your heart, for you have come down to see the battle.” 1 Samuel 17: 26-28

David was instructed by his father to run to the camp and take food for his brothers. He obeyed his father and did as he asked him to do. However, when he saw Goliath intimidating the army of God, he could not remain quiet and knew that something needed to be done.

David was not there to bring attention to himself, and neither was he there looking to humiliate his brothers. However, his older brother Eliab perceived his actions the wrong way. He accused David of being proud and insolent. In addition, Eliab, in a condescending manner, reminded David that he was just a shepherd boy to imply that David should mind his own business. Unfortunately, Eliab and his brothers had learned to be skilled warriors, but they were not spiritually skillful in their perception. 

David had already been anointed to be the future king of Israel, and God had bypassed David’s brothers who would have hoped to be qualified. However, Eliab’s perception of his brother had not changed. He still wanted to see David as his little brother who is only good in shepherding. Eliab and his brothers could have responded very differently. They could have encouraged David and told him that God was with him. They could have offered their help in taking on Goliath. Instead, they tried to humiliate him and shun him, so they would not look bad. Their perception of their brother David was clouded with their own pride and jealousy, and regardless of what David did, they could not see anything good about him. 

When our perception is foggy, it inhibits us from seeing God’s work in others’ lives. We need to put aside our own ideas and preferences and ask for the mind of the Lord in regards to other people.  Sometimes others cannot see or accept the anointing of God in our lives. The opposition from his brothers did not keep David discouraged. His focus was on the Lord, and he was able to accomplish a courageous feat that others were too scared to face.  This allowed the Israelites and his brothers to be saved from the hands of the Philistines. 

In the last three devotionals, I shared about Jesus addressing some important issues with a Pharisee when He was invited to this man’s house for dinner.  Jesus told him about the condition of the Pharisee’s heart while the Pharisee was concerned if Jesus had washed before dinner. Jesus rebuked him and his companions for their accuracy in giving of their tithes and mints but neglecting love and justice. Jesus also exposed the Pharisee’s love for  the important seats and being greeted in the marketplace.

The issues that Jesus addressed can easily apply to our lives and our attitudes in living our Christian life. So how do we keep some safeguards from becoming religious!?

1. The Lord’s view of us should be the most important view in our spiritual walk 

The fear of man brings a snare, But whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe. Proverbs 29:25

The opinion of man whether it is a good opinion or a bad opinion will set a snare for us and will hold us in bondage to competition, striving, and proving ourselves. It is important to recognize that what is happening in our internal world is far more important than our external perfection before people. We need to have regular alone time where we listen to the Lord and allow Him to speak to us concerning those things that He cares about apart from all the other voices around us. It takes courage to be corrected by the Lord!

If people happen to like us or admire us, thank the Lord and then move on. We cannot let it to get into our heads or hearts. We also cannot allow it to become our identity. If people have an issue with us, instead of jumping to defend ourselves, we should take it to our prayer room (not our friends) and ask Him to show us if there is any truth in what was spoken. It would be like a person who is sick but does not want to admit that they have a health condition.  If we don’t take care of the health issue, we are the ones suffering the consequences. If we are afraid of man’s negative opinion of us, we will not admit our mistakes and will even justify them. We might even find scriptures to defend our position, while all along knowing that we have a pattern that needs to be broken.

2. Our Priority in ministry should be God’s priority in ministry

He loves righteousness and justice; The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord. Psalm 33:5

God cares about reaching people and representing Him well on the earth! Therefore, be willing to let go of anything that inhibits your love and justice towards others. Just because we do the work of the ministry, it does not mean that we are in a right relationship with God or others.We need to care more about love and justice than the zeal of ministry. If we keep his priorities in our lives, sometimes it will lead us to walk away from certain situations and let others have it their way. If we are not willing to experience loss sometimes, we are more concerned about self-preservation than letting the Lord have His way in a given situation. The good news is that when we operate in love and justice, the Lord allows us to see His goodness and His hand in our lives because we have put Him and His desires first.

3. Examine your life for False Security 

For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” Esther 4:14

I love the above scripture for many reasons. As it relates to the subject of having a religious spirit, it is a good reminder that our significance is in the Lord’s hands not in our earthly laurels. We cannot think too highly of ourselves. Mordecai challenged the Queen, and his message to Esther was very bold and direct. He reminded her that even though she was the Queen, her life was in jeopardy as well. This probably awakened Esther from the slumber and the security of being a Queen!

Our value is not connected to our titles, positions, the most important seats, or people’s greetings. All those things can be false religious security. Esther was the Queen, but her significance was not connected to her royalty. Her royalty status would not have spared her life from being perished. Being a queen did not have an intrinsic value in and of itself, but God was going to use her royalty to fulfill His purpose. If we get enamored by false security, we will get derailed from fulfilling God’s purpose in our lives.

Praise God for the Holy Spirit who is the perfect physician. He illuminates the condition of our hearts, so we can address the religious spirit and get back on the road to recovery!