The walk with God is always easy and the yoke of the Lord is light....
But the walk in the world can be really hard.
---
Recently I was convicted - strongly - in the opposite direction from where I thought I'd been lead before.
I was doing things one way, and lastdaysgirl, almost from the first day she started posting here, argued that I should be doing the opposite.
We didn't have any massive flame ridden forum war. We exchanged exactly two private messages on the subject. It was a private matter, but I am making it public so that I may confess and repent.
She convicted me about clinging to some pieces of my non-Christian past that weren't good for me.
I wrote up a pretty bold defence of my position. I was sure I was right. I had reasons and arguments and all sorts of emotion backing my position.
But I didn't have the proper Foundation. I was defending something I'd decided to do, without pausing to realize that I'd not asked God His opinion on the matter.
Strangely, she sent me a message apologizing because she thought her first message admonishing me was "too harsh."
But harsh or not, her words sent me to prayer. And then I received an additional sign. It was time to cut some more ties from my past. I wasn't helping the people there, and they certainly weren't equipped to help me.
One of my gifts has been to bring very lost sheep closer to God. I've had amazing and wonderful experiences with seeing people I never thought would even think of getting to know Jesus turn around suddenly. I've snagged people out of cults, bus stations, and AA meetings. I've gotten decent responses from people at ren faires and pagan conventions. But somewhere I got a little prideful. This is what I *do* right...find the really really lost sheep?
Just earlier today I used the example of a friend of mine who has listened to me blather at him for over a decade who finally asked me to read the Bible with him and help him understand it (he was raised Atheist and has no frame of reference). This is what I *do* right...lost sheep?
Not without God's sanction, no.
When it comes to some of my close friends from my past, I have had to accept that I am *too* close to be a proper Witness to them. I am too accepting. They need *conviction* more than they need a caring ear. They're too lost and I'm too soft.
Worse, in the process of being around them, I was clinging ever so slightly to this or that bit of my former life. So now I've explained "I can't go to that club with you. If you want to meet somewhere else and talk then fine, but there's nothing going on there that a Christian should be involved in."
I suspect that these people will cut me out of their lives entirely. I was being tolerant of thier behavior in the hopes that if I could just get them to not shut me out, then maybe I would get an opening to talk to them about Jesus. But it's been four years and the opening never came.
So that is a testimony of my developing walk with God. Sometimes you have to know when to let go. I trust the Lord. IF there is anyone to be reached among that group I have left, God will reach them. He doesn't need *me* to accomplish anything.
But *I* need *Him* for everything.
So lastdaysgirl I hope someone points this out to you.
You were worried you were too harsh.
You did just fine.
But I owe you and God an apology because you were right.
Thank you for helping me see it. I know He will forgive me, but I hope you can too.
Janette
But the walk in the world can be really hard.
---
Recently I was convicted - strongly - in the opposite direction from where I thought I'd been lead before.
I was doing things one way, and lastdaysgirl, almost from the first day she started posting here, argued that I should be doing the opposite.
We didn't have any massive flame ridden forum war. We exchanged exactly two private messages on the subject. It was a private matter, but I am making it public so that I may confess and repent.
She convicted me about clinging to some pieces of my non-Christian past that weren't good for me.
I wrote up a pretty bold defence of my position. I was sure I was right. I had reasons and arguments and all sorts of emotion backing my position.
But I didn't have the proper Foundation. I was defending something I'd decided to do, without pausing to realize that I'd not asked God His opinion on the matter.
Strangely, she sent me a message apologizing because she thought her first message admonishing me was "too harsh."
But harsh or not, her words sent me to prayer. And then I received an additional sign. It was time to cut some more ties from my past. I wasn't helping the people there, and they certainly weren't equipped to help me.
One of my gifts has been to bring very lost sheep closer to God. I've had amazing and wonderful experiences with seeing people I never thought would even think of getting to know Jesus turn around suddenly. I've snagged people out of cults, bus stations, and AA meetings. I've gotten decent responses from people at ren faires and pagan conventions. But somewhere I got a little prideful. This is what I *do* right...find the really really lost sheep?
Just earlier today I used the example of a friend of mine who has listened to me blather at him for over a decade who finally asked me to read the Bible with him and help him understand it (he was raised Atheist and has no frame of reference). This is what I *do* right...lost sheep?
Not without God's sanction, no.
When it comes to some of my close friends from my past, I have had to accept that I am *too* close to be a proper Witness to them. I am too accepting. They need *conviction* more than they need a caring ear. They're too lost and I'm too soft.
Worse, in the process of being around them, I was clinging ever so slightly to this or that bit of my former life. So now I've explained "I can't go to that club with you. If you want to meet somewhere else and talk then fine, but there's nothing going on there that a Christian should be involved in."
I suspect that these people will cut me out of their lives entirely. I was being tolerant of thier behavior in the hopes that if I could just get them to not shut me out, then maybe I would get an opening to talk to them about Jesus. But it's been four years and the opening never came.
So that is a testimony of my developing walk with God. Sometimes you have to know when to let go. I trust the Lord. IF there is anyone to be reached among that group I have left, God will reach them. He doesn't need *me* to accomplish anything.
But *I* need *Him* for everything.
So lastdaysgirl I hope someone points this out to you.
You were worried you were too harsh.
You did just fine.
But I owe you and God an apology because you were right.
Thank you for helping me see it. I know He will forgive me, but I hope you can too.
Janette
