Gifts

Leave your gift there in front of the altar.

 First go and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

Matthew 5:24

 

         Sometimes the very thing we think we're bothered by is not what God is bothering with at all. Sometimes the problem that is most obvious is the least important. Or it just means something else...

 

         When I attended Narcotics Anonymous in years past they had so many sayings that have stuck with me all this time. One of these themes was: Get to the exact nature. To me that means getting to the core, getting to the point. We can beat around the bush at something all day long, but when we get one word from God it sheds so much light on the subject. My mind is blown everytime God makes his appearance that way.

 

          This morning I had a seriously heated argument with my significant other. So serious I actually questioned whether or not this thing is really going to work. I tried to force onto him my belief in a certain matter and for hours I tried to understand why this I had been thrown for a loop, yet he felt it was no big deal. My spirit was so unsettled as I cried and prayed and asked the Lord to give me some clarity in the situation. We sat in silence for a while. We ran errands with nothing on but the radio. Eventually we made an effort to carry on small talk. I was no longer upset with him, but still felt awkward. He's left town for work now and I wish so badly that he were here. We made up before he left, but I hate to see him go after a bad day like this.

 

          The hope came when I started researching and running references for another writing piece. I picked up my devotional that I skipped on this morning and read the verse listed above. what really caught my eye was the title of today's devotion: Be Reconciled! the words jumped out at me and I knew exactly what God was telling me. And my unsettled spirit had nothing to do with the misunderstanding from this morning....

 

         I cannot enjoy all God has for me; I cannot give myself fully and wholly to Him until I rid myself of all the excess baggage that I have with my brothers and sisters on Earth. I cannot love God and not love my enemy. I cannot hold a resentment and expect God to forgive my sins. It is not fair to even think of avoiding humility when Jesus was beaten, spit on, mocked, and nailed to a cross.

 

       I thought I was okay and I could move forward, but I cannot sit comfortably under the true engrafted word and not be obedient. I would be damned if I did. So.......

to all my readers and followers I will go now to make peace with someone I had no idea I even had to make peace with . Am I doing it for favor? Only God's. Am I doing it to save face? I must practice humility. Am I doing this to keep a friend? The best friend I have is Jesus, and obedience is the key to righteousness.

 

Be Inspired...To be better!