Romans 3:23 (KJV) Says, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" I Peter 5:8 (KJV) Says, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:"
As the above verse of scripture, taken from the book of Romans, tells us we as human beings are all sinners, and each and every single one of us fall short of the glory of God. This means we all have weaknesses, and that we all have areas within ourselves that we need to work on. With that said, once we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior we should have the desire in our hearts to grow in Christ, and become more and more like Him. In order to do this we must identify and work on getting rid of the things in our life that do not reflect who we are in Christ. To be a Christian by definition means to be Christ-like.
Although we will never reach perfection, it is vital that we identify our areas of weakness and address those issues. The first step to correcting those things in our lives that do not fit who we are as born again believers, and followers of Jesus Christ is to admit them. As long as we remain in denial about the personal behaviors within us that do not fit who we are in Christ, we will cease to grow in Him. Once we get out of denial and face our issues then we can go to God in prayer asking Him to help us make the changes we know we need to make. If we will do our part in making those changes, then we can rest assured that God will do His.
God's Word tells us that as Christians we should be known by our fruit, and that fruit is listed for us in Galatians 5:22-23 (KJV) which reads "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law." Do you have issues in your life that are contradictory to who you are in Christ? Do your actions and words reflect your love for others? Remember love is an action word. Do you walk in the joy of Christ or do you gripe, complain, and wear a miserable look on your face? Do you have the divine peace in your heart that God has so freely given you or do you carry turmoil in your heart? Are you patient, gentle, and kind? Do you truly walk by faith, and not by sight? Are you humble? These verses taken from the book of Galatians tell us specifically what others should see in us, and anything and everything in our lives that demonstrates opposite behaviors should be addressed, and weeded out.
There are multiple issues that can be found in human beings that do not fit the life of a Christian. Maybe you're dealing with envy, jealousy, greed, a disrespectful attitude, unkindness, an addiction such as drugs, alcohol, gambling, or over eating. Maybe you have anger issues, bitterness in your heart, or you're harboring unforgiveness. The list goes on and on. The truth is whatever our weaknesses are we are aware of them even if we are not willing to profess them. Many people refuse to look at their weaknesses because along with facing them comes the awareness that they need to be addressed, and some are simply not ready to do that.
It is important for us to recognize that it is often times through our weaknesses that Satan temps us in an attempt to lead us away from Christ. As the above passage of scripture taken from I Peter tells us Satan roams the earth looking to devour. It is worthy to note that God uses the words roaring and devour in this verse which are strong words insinuating the fierceness of the lion, and letting us know that Satan is looking to completely consume us. The great news is that for every temptation Satan puts before us God provides a way out. Having freewill, however, we must opt to take the way out that God provides in lieu of falling prey to the temptations of Satan.
I encourage you to conduct a self-examination, and identify the areas in your life that do not fit who you are in Christ. Once you identify them, go to God in prayer and ask Him to help you weed those things out. Do your part in making the changes you know you need to make, and trust God to do His. I urge you to begin today examining your heart and your life, and to get started making the changes you know you need to make. Choosing to address your issues and make the changes you know you need to make will help you to grow in Christ becoming more and more like Him. The more your life reflects who you profess to be, the more joy and divine peace you will have in your heart. I urge you to get rid of the things in your life that are blocking the light of Christ in you. Move those things out of the way, and allow others to clearly see His light shine through you with the hope that they will want what you have. After all, the manner in which we live our lives is our greatest testimony.
If you have a prayer request and would like me to pray for you, leave me a message and I will be more than happy to do so. May God bless you!
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