GROWING UP IN GOD

Pentecostals like blaming the devil for everything that doesn’t go their way. I remember when we were in Nepal a young boy was misplaced after a huge children's meeting. His grandmother was beside herself, weeping and sobbing, children in a country like Nepal are more than someone to care for and love, they mean future for the family. And his loss would have probably put to an end the local ministry. An older mature lady (who ought to have known better) replied when she heard the child was misplaced, “isn’t that just like the devil to steal our joy.” The devil had nothing to do with it. He went home with a relative and was fine until his parents got a hold of him. Other denominations will scarcely believe the Holy Spirit would use situations and other people to get our attention to make us “grow up” in God; things such as the crabby neighbor, the snooty waiter, the inept airline personnel (lets not even go there), or the guy that just stole your perfect parking place at Wal-Mart so now you will have to walk further. The Holy Spirit will use family, friends, church folks, your Pastor, disappointments, humiliations, death of a loved one, even the guy that lets his dog crap all over your yard to show you what is in your heart. Now I will be the first to admit truth hurts. It stings like a slap in the face or a punch in the gut and the worse kind of truth is when we allow God to show us what is in our heart. We usually stiffen our neck, get angry, and lash out at the person who has offended us and stolen our self-satisfaction when we do not get our way. Dave always says, at the heart of every issue is an issue of our heart. When we do not get our way our heart is angry and we strike out to hurt those who hurt us. But Jesus said, “Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy. 44But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 45That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.” (Matthew 5:43-45) How can we “Love our enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;” if we never grow up in God? How can we be “children of your Father” if we never grow up in God? Why do you think God wants you to love those “which despitefully use you, and persecute you?” So we will see them as a tool God is using in our lives to refine and define our character and image into the likeness of Jesus Christ. If we really want to grow up in God we will mull things over and soften our heart condition realizing God is right and has every right in our lives in every given situation to work His judgments and mercies in our lives. Or we can keep being prideful spouting off, “oh, he don’t know what he is talking about” or “who does she think she is” Blah Blah Blah, grow up! Okay you got your feelings miffed and now your nose is out of joint, welcome to the real world. Sometimes we can’t go where we want to go or do what we want to do. And sometimes (hold the phone) our theology is off. We just can’t do or think anything anyhow. We must do it God’s way.

Growing up to be like Jesus isn’t for sissies. It’s going to hurt. The more you grow in God the more growing pains you will have. If you get angry at someone because they have offended you that offense is in your heart. Did you know if there was no offense in us, we could not be offended? And getting offended time and time again is nothing more than a sign of us not allowing God to deal and judge in our hearts. I shudder when people admit they often get angry time and time again. Our anger, wrath, jealousy, envy, and many words of justification is the proof. We seldom know why some people say and do things against us, all we know is they have attacked us, they have hurt our feelings, and now we will get even. Well here is a weird thought maybe God put those people in our way to offend us. In John, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6) What truth is Jesus talking about in this verse? Is Jesus talking about the Bible? I think not because the Bible as we know it had not yet been written. Earlier in John, “Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue (abide or become a part of) in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; 32And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:32) Truth (Jesus) is found in us as His words abide in us. The truth is; the truth of God in our lives is to help us realize what is in our heart. If what is in our heart doesn’t surface it can’t be dealt with by us and God. And if it is not dealt with we’ll have no part in Him and His righteousness. This is why out of our mouth speaks our heart. The choice is ours to allow God to deal and judge in our lives. So the next time you get angry stop and consider what God is doing in you. God is trying to get anger, wrath, jealousy, envy, and the like out us. We must not be hasty to stiffen our neck and lash out, but look for the glory God is doing in our lives, “For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. 17For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;” (2 Corinthians 4:16) And remember the best is yet to come. Written by Karen Stahl