The answers to our prayers are not always comfortable.
I’ve been asking God in recent weeks to open my eyes to any hidden sins in my heart and life and to be honest friends, I don’t like what I see! Why Is the Answer to My Prayer so Uncomfortable? Because God wants to teach me and help me to be a little more like Jesus.
Just recently as my eyes were being opened, I saw just how often I sin with my tongue. It starts in my heart with something little that irritates me with my family.
Do you also find that it’s your family that sees the worst in you? That it’s those you love the most and least want to hurt that are the ones that get the most of your old nature thrown at them?
Well, something little irritates me inside but then I let it come out.
Sometimes I may say it jokingly but in it is a little dig.
Other times I speak sharply when it could have been said kindly or not at all.
I particularly trip up when there is something by way of discipline that needs to be said. Or I need to ask my youngest to do something and knowing that he’ll probably have an answer because he invariably does, just as his mother used to, (Talk about reap what you sow!) so expecting an answer I begin by asking him in a cross tone of voice.
Sometimes he’ll even say, why are you cross when you ask me to do things!
These things prick my heart but it has become a habit and I need so much help from God to be more Christ like.
God is showing me that a big part of this is that I so often react instead of respond.
When I need to discipline I am often annoyed by the behaviour so my discipline comes from the place of my annoyance rather than from my love and desire to guide my children to walk in ways that honour the Lord.
There is a subtle but huge difference between reacting and responding!
The devil gives me excuses, “don’t forget you’re not well, it’s so hard to be patient when you’re in pain and exhausted”.
Yes it is but that doesn’t make it any less sinful, it doesn’t make it okay!
“Well they need to learn… And I need to discipline as a parent.”
Yes, but not by reacting, not by venting my irritation in harsh words! But by responding lovingly and rebuking with firm but kind words and by pointing them to the Lord.
I fear that too often my family see the ‘Me’ in me and not Christ in me!
These things may only be evident outwardly at times but even when God helps me to hold my tongue there are still times when the irritation is in my heart.
What hurts me so much is that this is my family, it’s those I love the most!
I just cannot do this alone, there is a constant unseen battle waging in my heart, but I thank God that we are not alone in this constant battle friends.
Our dear Redeemer lived the perfect life we cannot live, He paid the price for our sins if we’re born again and He now lives inside us and is willing to help us if we just trust Him to do it.
We don’t need to STRIVE harder, we just need help to LEAN harder!
Again, why Is the Answer to My Prayer so Uncomfortable? Because God wants to teach me and help me to be a little more like Jesus.
How I long to be made more like Jesus!
Do you also find that it’s your family that see the worst of you? Let me know in the comments below and let’s encourage one another to keep fighting the good fight against sin.
Your fellow soldier in the battle,
Sharon x
Written November 6th 2017
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