In Words that directly apply to prayer Peter says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you” Note the progression: humility, the step down, makes possible God’s lifting us up. By trying to be strong, I may even block God’s power.
I have been reluctant to blog a problem I have been having with someone who used to be a very close friend.. I still battled over it until Sunday when I read th above quote. I must admit that when I first got married I was very “opinionated” in how life works. In both my faith and my marriage and my children. My most humbling experience–having a strong willed child!
This past week I received a phone call from the afore mentioned friend. I haven’t spoken with her in the last 4 or 5 weeks and I must admit that the last few weeks have been very peaceful and enjoyable. I have not worried about conforming to that friend’s opinionated ways.
So when this friend called i was shocked to say the least and amazingly I didn’t even think twice about answering the phone. Within the first 10 minutes I was completely shocked. This is why:
My friend is working on finishing her bachelor’s degree at a Bible college…She had planned on taking a philosophy class but it was online and she and her husband do not have the internet in their home….her only other option was a ministry class that deals with marriage and motherhood….I have taken this class and learned a ton from the prof. HOWEVER this friend of mine had to persuade her husband to let her take the class because he thought..”you won’t learn anything,you could teach the class”. He finally said she could take the class so i asked her if she has learned anything to which she replied “no not really I already know what my philosophy is and I am pretty opinionated about that”
I was livid!!! The arrogance and pridefulness that exuded from every word! I talked then for the next 110 minutes and amazingly she didn’t say a peep!
I said what I had to say in love but yet there is a certain air of righteous anger. I have ENABLED her to continue on this path with us fro some time and i am called to hold my brother’s and sister’s in Christ accountable for their sin…especially when it affects me in causing me to sin.. I at some point will have to let her know that we do not stand for such arrogance and pride and that it is sin. Opinionated is just another way of saying arrogant or prideful in trying to make it sound as a spiritual sort of way.
I will share with you some of the same things shared with her. Churches today are opinionated so much so that they alienate new people and those already in the church. Most things in the Christian walk are boiled down to how the Holy Spirit convicts each person parenting and so on are some of those things…however there is One basic thing through which we can be certain is not based on conviction i our faith and that is Salvation By GRACE!!!
GRACE is the thing missing from most people and churches…Yet we have accepted Christ’s grace laden gift of Salvation!! I think it’s about time Christians start basing their encounters with other believers and those who are unsaved with grace and mercy rather than “opinionated attitudes” or their testimony is severely going to be damaged and friendships will be lost.
I think these words are extremely important in our walk with God. Because what wiill affect those most are our actions…Do we practice the grace that we preach!!!
God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.
