Why do I want to fix it? Because I think I can.
Why do I think I can? Because I've been there, done that.
Have you been exactly where that person is? Well, No, Not EXACTLY.
Who fixed you? Um?, myself? No, wait, the Holy Spirit.
How? Through books, other people.
When? I saw the inside instead of the outside when I looked in the mirror.
Why? I didn't like what I saw.
Who showed you your true self? Holy Spirit.
It wasn't a friend nagging you? No!
You see, I want to boast that I fixed myself so that gives me right to fix someone else but as we can see from my conversation with God this morning that the reality is it took the moving of the Holy Spirit within me to change me. The only way I can change is from the inside out and I have no clue how to do that except to pray...
ALOT!
I'm reading this book called All of Grace by C.H. Spurgeon, he quotes, "It would be very wonderful if one could stand at the foot of Niagara Falls and speak a word that would make the Niagara River begin to run upstream and leap up that great precipice over which is now rolls down with stupendous force. Nothing but the power of God could achieve that marvel. Yet that would be more than a fit parallel to what would take place if the course of your nature were altogether reversed."
"Photo of Niagara Falls, taken from the Maiden Mist by me, last July"
It's by the grace of God that I am who I am today, not perfect, but I've come along way....ooops, I mean Jesus has drug me along way, kicking and screaming, to be at a better place today.
So, why do I think or expect someone else to change because I give a pretty darn good argument and speak truth?
Just like married people can't change their spouses, I can' change anybody either. All I can do is pray that the Holy Spirit will change me and my heart.
"God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin. Therefore, as the Scriptures say, "If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord."" 1 Corinthians 1:30-31 (NLT)
Living Loved,
Elizabeth
It was good and I liked it! Sorry, I couldn't resist that. My English teacher always said when it was time to do a book report do NOT say it was good and I liked it! HEHEHEH
ReplyDeleteAll jokes aside, your message/blog is key to understanding how God works in and thru us. Like you said, no one can tell you how to change yourself. It comes from the Holy Spirits divine intervention into a willing vessel. When I cracked my old clay to see what was underneath, I found out their wasn't much. I know from "quiet times", self reflection, prayer, counseling and the willingness to move out of "MY" way, then can I truly see the goodness/grace/mercy of God. I've also begun to see my faults in a new light. No more pointing fingers, unless I'm in front of the mirror. Time to review my faults, change them, be happy with my good traits and work them to be a light unto the world. It's amazing the things we can do if we will simply be obedient to God. But you can never be obedient if you never see yourself as a clay vessel full of "cracks". No one person is perfect...our goal it to be like Jesus....and you can't do that pointing fingers at others. The best compliment you can get is to be called "fruity"! I hope I'm a basket full of love/joy/peace/longsuffering/
gentleness/goodness/faith/meekness/temperance! So with all of that said, BE a nice clay bowl of fruit!
Great writing and thoughts. I was thinking about when you said that the Holy Spirit changed you through books and other people... So you cannot expect to change other people, right? but maybe you are the person the Holy Spirit can use to help change someone else just like he used someone to help change you. The difficult question to ask ourselves is "What are our motives?"
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