A Lesson of Helps from My Husband

Normally I try to post on Mondays and Thursdays...that is the goal, but this week it didn't quite happen.  Last week was well, a week, if I do say so myself. It was a rougher than normal week because I was physically quite sick and it was a rougher than normal week on my emotions due to circumstances beyond my control.  I venture to say that we all have weeks like this from time to time.  The important thing is what we do and how we handle these particular times in our lives.  Our response to hard times is important because it affects us and it affects all those around us.  I purposely postponed writing a new post because, well, honestly, I needed some time to pray, think, and process some things in life. 
I hate to admit it, but sometimes in life things happen that cause us to just wonder or cause us to be in absolute dismay.  Last week that happened in my life.  I kept thinking "how?" and "why?" and frankly, no answers came.  I believe I felt every emotion imaginable.  I was hurt.  I was sad.  I was angry.  I was dismayed.  I was numb. I was....you name it...I felt it.  My emotions were all over the charts.  During this difficult time, my husband was such a help.  He continued as he does daily, to point me to the One Who is always constant and never changes.  My husband reminded me that though we were angered, disappointed, hurt and saddened by something that had occured, we must always remember that the Lord we serve NEVER disappoints, He NEVER brings us grief and He will NEVER let us down....ever.  I knew this, but I definitely needed the reminder from my sweet husband.
My husband is my pastor and for today's blog, I want to share some thoughts that he shared with our church people.  He was extremely helpful to our people and shared some things that can help us when we are disappointed or hurt by the fall of another Christian.  Maybe you have never experienced hurt, you will.  Maybe you don't know what it is like to be let down by another human, you will.  May these few points help you the way they helped me. 

1. Increase your trust in the Lord.
Ps. 118:8 "It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man."
      
We, as humans, can be tempted to put man on a pedastal...we must be careful.  Our confidence and foundation must be built upon God, not man.  It is good to learn from and follow those that are walking closely with the Lord.  However, it is not wise for us to worship a man.  We must remember that man is man...flesh and therefore, is capable of failing.  God is God and He NEVER fails!!

2. Increase your hatred of sin.
Ps. 97:10 "Ye that love the Lord, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked."

Sin is a terrible thing and when we become complacent to it, it is then that we become more susceptible to falling.  Hate sin, but not the sinner.  This is by no means an excuse, either, to justify sin.  Sin must be hated and sin must be properly dealt with or it will enslave.  No man is above sin and no man can think himself untouchable.  Unfortunately, it is this lacksadaisical attitude that often leads to one's downfall.  Hate sin....run as far from it as you can!

3. Increase your wariness of the devil. 
I Peter 5:8 "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour."

I find this verse interesting because it compares the devil to a roaring lion.  He is not quiet.  Yet, so many Christians fall prey to him.  We must daily be watching for the devil.  We must walk cirumspectly with wisdom and prudence and not give the devil a foothold.  It saddens me to see the devil destroy lives.  We must all become more aware of this enemy and we must realize that his goal is to destroy us. 

4. Increase your love for those who are hurt.
2 Sam. 1:10  "So, I stood upon him, and slew him, because I was sure that he could not live after that he was fallen..."

"I was sure he could not live after that he was fallen.."  What an interesting thought here.  Saul was not dead yet. He was wounded and by all counts it seemed as though he would not live.  The Amalekite came upon him and Saul tells him, in essence, to finish him off.  This Amalekite is relaying this story to David and the events of what took place.  To me it is interesting the choice of words he used because it would seem that we, too, feel this way when someone falls.  We assume because a Christian sins that they are never able to be used again. Now, again, I am not saying do not deal with a person's sin.  Sin MUST be dealt with properly and properly punished.  We must, however, continue to love the sinner while hating the sin. We must also reach out to those who were hurt by the wrongdoing.  We must remember those who have suffered due to the wrong done.  We must love people. We must love the hurting. I have often wondered why it is that Christians tend to "kick each other when they are down"...just seems like a strange concept.  True love will seek to help the wounded and seek to repair the broken. 

5. Increase your determination to march on for Christ.
Phil. 3:13 - 14 "Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."

As a Christian, you must realize that flesh is flesh and unfortunately, flesh will fail us.  We must press on for Christ regardless of what has taken place.  We must continue to serve the Lord and realize it is the Lord Whom we serve, not a man.  If our eyes are on a man, then we will stop when they fall.  If our eyes are fixed on Jesus, then, when man falls we are able to keep pressing on for Christ. What are our motives for serving Christ? Are we serving for recognition and a place of status with other Christians or are we serving in order to please our Saviour?  Our motivation for service should be Jesus and Him alone.  Press on!

I hope these simple thoughts will be a blessing to someone else as they were to me.  Remember that we serve a God Who sees, Who knows and Who cares about us.  We must live each day remembering that it is God alone Whom we serve.


From My Heart,
Robyn