Skip to main content

Do Not Go There

Photo by Will Porada
Earlier this week, a snippet of a fire-and-brimstone sermon from somewhere in my youth came back to me in weird randomness. Fuzzy details of the setting loom in the corners of my mind trying to come to the forefront, but never actually forming a clear memory. I truly do not remember the who, what, when, whereof the matter, but what I do remember resonates.

In this foreboding sermon, the minister is warning of the dangers of dabbling in worldly pleasures and such. "Don't go anywhere Jesus wouldn't go with you." At the time, I am sure I rolled my eyes in a covert manner, probably sighed--inwardly, of course--as I tossed this tidbit away thinking Brother Old Fogey just could not relate to the current times. After all, didn't Jesus have dinner with sinners?

In retrospect, this concept is absolutely true and applicable to every generation of old and young alike. When we find ourselves tiptoeing around in areas we know we should not, we can ease our way right out from under that umbrella of protection. That is not to say, our omnipotent Father does not know where we are even in our sin. If we call out with a humble, repentant heart, He will come speedily to our rescue. David wrote in Psalm 51:7, "...a broken and a contrite heart, O God, you will not ignore." However, we will most likely experience unnecessary hurts and setbacks along the way. Avoidable U-turns, if you will, not to mention the indescribably cold darkness that lurks outside the shadow of the Almighty. (Psalm 91)

As I began thinking of my own struggles of late, the light-bulb flashing, bells ding-dinging, the eureka moment springs forth...if Jesus would not go there, neither should I. Come with me to the other side of this most relevant sermon.

How many times as Christians have we maliciously spread gossip under the guise of sharing prayer requests or seeking Godly counsel? How often do we engage in self-pity or go to great lengths to solicit attention? We embark on a self-righteous scouting expedition to judge the fruit of our fellow believers while our own fruit is rotting, our attitudes are putrid, and our emotions have gone amuck. Repeatedly we use the hammer of condemnation rather than allowing love to make room for God's conviction in God's timing. We readily participate in slanderous conversations, go on angry, emotional tirades, and bathe in self-indulgence.

So today, I challenge you, instead of conforming to the crowd, let's take a time out for a heart and mind transformation:

If Jesus would not go there in His conversation...neither should I.
If Jesus would not go there in His thoughts...neither should I.
If Jesus would not go there in His attitude...neither should I.
If Jesus would not go there in His emotions...neither should I.

If Jesus would not go there...DO NOT GO THERE!

"But as the One Who called you is holy, you yourselves also be holy in all your conduct and manner of living." 1 Peter 1:15 
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

People Pleaser

Hello, my name is Brittni and I am a people pleaser.  They say the first step is admitting you have a problem, right? Today, I realized this has been a huge stumbling block for me.  Many of the situations I have found myself in can be attributed to doing something I didn't really want to do because I thought someone else wanted me to or better yet, needed me to do.  I have compromised my own beliefs, taken responsibility for things that were not my fault, even made untrue assessments about myself all for the pleasing of someone else.  I called it being agreeable, keeping the peace.  Only, I didn't have peace.  How dumb is that? Joyce Meyer writes, "IT ALL COMES DOWN TO ONE THING…Motives… Why are we doing (or not doing) something? Are we being motivated by fear, personal gain or a sense of obligation? Are we being motivated by a desire to be in control, accepted or seen?  These are all the wrong reasons for doing something. Our motive for...
4 comments
Read more

The Refiner's Fire

The past couple of months have been difficult. Nothing earth-shattering has happened, no tragedies. I have been looking in the mirror of my soul. I have seen some ugly things. These "things" always come up when I pray earnestly for a clean heart. I'm referring to heart matters such as envy, jealousy, bitterness, unforgiveness, pride, idolatry, even. It's the ugliness I see when I say, "Father, that I might melt into you!" You see in order to become one with Christ, He has to clean us up. He has to bring those unsightly things to the surface that we try to bury inside (all the while praying no one else sees them) in order for us to deal with them. This is The Refiner's Fire. The fire that burns out the dross to bring forth gold. That same fire referenced in Malachi 3:2 which states, "...He will be like a refiner's fire or the launderer's soap." John the Baptist foretells of Jesus' coming with "His winnowing fan...
Post a Comment
Read more

Porcupine

Photo by Vadym “The porcupine, whom one must handle gloved, may be respected, but never loved.”               ~Arthur Guiterman Those who know me, even those who have followed my blogs, know I have struggled in relationships. Though it is true, many of the hellacious, short-lived relationships were the result of simply picking the wrong people--whether romantic relationships, friendships, even mentors. For this reason, it is particularly important to pray about every aspect of your life, not just "the big things." In all actuality, the simplest details overlooked can thrust you into the most difficult and most painful situations from which to extricate yourself. Often, this is where we experience being blind-sided. Through these tumultuous times, as we all do, I have developed a defense mechanism that I only discovered in the past few weeks. In my prayer time, a revelation came to me so clearly, I may as well ha...
3 comments
Read more