A CONFESSION OF FAILURE
Last week I was waiting my turn at the deli-counter when I decided to pass some of the time by engaging the person behind me in a brief conversation. As we both waited for our turn our conversation quickly moved from topic to topic and eventually rested on what each of us does for a vocation. At first I was quick to tell the man what I do, vocationally, but as our conversation went on I found myself feeling as if I had to exaggerate who and what I do. By exaggerating I mean I began to walk the fine line of lying and “enhancing” the truth. Thankfully, before I dug too deep of a hole for myself our turns came up and we placed our orders and said good-bye. The walk from the deli-counter to the car seemed like the green mile and all the way the Holy Spirit convicted me by asking, Why did you do that? Why were you embarrassed? Were you ashamed?” Honestly, I had to answer the Holy Spirit with “all of the above” and while I had entered similar situations with the boldness of a lion I sheepishly shrank, like a mouse, in the shadow of man’s approval. Sitting in my car, in the grocery parking lot, I appealed to Jesus with a confession of failure.
Every time you venture out, in life, you will find something in your commonsense circumstances that flatly contradicts your faith. Common sense is not faith and faith is not common sense. When I was speaking with this other man my commonsense was screaming for me to obfuscate the facts, dodge the question and embellish the truth because the reality was embarrassing, lack-luster and small in relation to what this man was doing. This encounter, at the local deli, became another amazing learning lesson of grace and mercy that reminded me; I can trust Jesus where my common sense cannot see Him?
How ‘bout you? Can you venture heroically on Jesus’ truths when the facts of your life and or ministry shout to you, Use your commonsense and tell a lie? I thought back to last week’s deli encounter and asked myself, Why did I feel shame? In part the answer came back to a sobering reality that revealed I lacked the faith to believe that God does not need my success to validate Him. Great or small the Father will not let me run dry, without outlook or hope. In that moment of struggle between commonsense and faith I was meant to go through the test trusting Him and not sinking back into something lower such as self. Even though I failed that test I am thankful for the Father’s love, for me, that allows my faith to be tried and tested.
During the Nutritionary Strategy, mds look at the robertrobb.com on line cialis Acai Checklist. Taking a high fat or high calorie diet and neglecting nutrition can cause ED. robertrobb.com cialis without prescription All of these medications are used to treat Erectile dysfunction via injection (the most common drug used for this purpose. 6. levitra 20 mg http://robertrobb.com/did-prop-123-losers-really-win/ Most of the men, face buy levitra robertrobb.com the problem of night discharge at sometime or the other in their lifetime.
If I had not experienced the encounter at the deli, that evening, then I would not have been aware of my personal conflict between faith and self. What is your faith up against today? Your test will either prove that your faith is right or it will reveal you are still trusting yourself. “Blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in Me.” The point of today’s blog is for you and me is to place our total confidence in Jesus. Believe steadfastly on Him and all you come up against will develop your faith. As long as we are on this earth we will continually face the testing of our faith. May God keep us in fighting trim shape and always trusting in Him!
“Said I not unto thee, that if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?” (John 11:40).
Blessings – JOSHUA