When I evaluated the state of my performance, and how my attitudes affected my overall spiritual activity, I came across some ideas I wanted to share.
Even in all my failures and blunders, and victories and goals met, the one thing that I hope to remember is that whatever state I find myself in, the least I can do is be thankful. If I find myself in sin, I definitely don’t need to be thankful that I sinned, but that even in that wretched state of sin, I am still here and can learn and can be thankful in the hope of being patient with myself. The problems arise when we find ourselves unthankful and lie down in our misery. I think this happens more easily when we are in a season of struggle and feel defeated. But God tells us that we are not to stay there, in defeat. We are not to have false humility, pretending to be trapped in our struggles, when He provides a way of escape. In my view, false humility seeps in when we buy into the lie that things will never change, that we can’t be healed, that things won’t improve, and it is then we feel discouraged. It is hard for me to describe false humility because I can diagnose it in myself easily enough, but thinking of how to speak about it is hard. To explain what it is: to me, its like you have convinced yourself that you are soooooo very weak, you just can’t overcome a besetting sin. And you stay in that disposition, rather than immediately acknowledging it, accepting God’s Word about whatever it is you have done, and moving on in faith. You have to stretch, reach, and maybe even groan your way out of it. But God tells us “do not be discouraged”! And we have much reason to be encouraged. If God has brought us so far, as He who cares for us in everything, we have reason to think we will overome. We will be healed, we will be set free, we will be restored.
“”In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18
“Wherefore seeing we are also encompassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience that race that is set before us.” Hebrews 12:1
“And we know all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28
“And these are they which are sown on good ground: such as hear the Word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.” Mark 4:20
“But ye be not weary in well doing.” 2 Thessalonians 3:13
Rebekah's Reflections 