AVOID STRIFE.....

AVOID STRIFE!

IT IS DANGEROUS TO BECOME HARD-HEARTED AND TO DEVELOP A SEARED
CONSCIENCE. IF WE DO, WE CANNOT REALLY TELL IF WE ARE
DOING ANYTHING WRONG OR NOT. ONE WAY WE DEVELOP TENDER CONSCIENCES IS BY BEING QUICK TO REPENT AND AVOID EXCUSES WHEN
GOD CONVICTS US OF SOMETHING.

WHEN GOD SHOWS US SOMETHING WE DID WRONG, WE NEED TO SAY, “YOU
ARE RIGHT, LORD. I AM WRONG. THERE IS NO EXCUSE, SO PLEASE FORGIVE ME AND HELP ME NOT DO IT AGAIN”.

IT IS AMAZING HOW MUCH THAT WILL HELP US HAVE TENDER CONSCIENCES
TOWARD GOD. BUT AS SOON AS WE START TRYING TO REASON THINGS OUT AND MAKE EXCUSES FOR OUR WRONGS, WE START GETTING A LITTLE CALLOUS ON
OUR CONSCIENCES. IT BECOMES JUST ALITTLE BIT HARDER FOR US TO FEEL IT
THAN THE TIME BEFORE.

EXAMPLE;
IF I MISTREAT SOMEONE AND DO NOT REPENT, MY CONSCIENCE BEGINS TO
CALLOUS. THE NEXT TIME I DO IT, MY CONSCIENCE GETS A LITTLE MORE CALLOUS. SOON, THOUGH I GO AROUND PRESENTING MYSELF AS A PERSON
WHO LOVES GOD, HE CANNOT USE ME ANYMORE BECAUSE I AM MISTREATING
PEOPLE IN HOW I TALK TO THEM AND BEHAVE TOWARD THEM. THE WORST
THING IS THAT I DO NOT EVEN REALIZE I AM DOING IT BECAUSE I NO LONGER
HAVE A TENDER HEART AND A TENDER CONSCIENCE TOWARD GOD.

WE MUST REMEMBER THAT GOD DOES NOT CARE HOW “GIFTED” OR TALENTED
WE ARE; HIS PRIMARY CONCERN IS OUR HEART ATTITUDE. IF WE HAVE WILLING
HEARTS, STIRRED-UP HEARTS, WISE HEARTS, PERFECT HEARTS, AND TENDER
CONSCIENCES, THE DEVIL’S PLAN FOR DESTRUCTION IS DESTROYED BECAUSE
BECAUSE THEN, NOTHING CAN STOP US FROM BEING USED BY GOD.


jmm