Small mistakes

There is a saying that dead flies will cause even a bottle of perfume to stink!

Our heart will lead us to either good or evil.  If our heart is the moment of measurement, then in fact, you can identify an evil person just by the way they walk down the street.

So what does it mean when a good person makes a small mistake that can outweigh all of their wisdom and honour?

We have seen it happen many, many times and in many, many lives – the outcomes are evident in the lives that have been destroyed.

When we consider the cost of doing good, accomplishing much, we rarely take the time to consider what is the status of our heart. Therein might lay our weakest link.

I truly believe that when we fail to take inventory of the status of our heart, if we fail to consider the consequences or find ourselves in a state of denial so that we may give ourselves permission to journey off the path, these small mistakes are like daggers that once the pierce us, they continue on their journey through us.

They can only be stopped through confession – the cost of confession could mean embarrassment, punishment and maybe even exile.  So most of us yield to the temptation to ensure that no one knows about the mistake – it never happened – and so the daggers continue to move through our bodies, continuing to destroy us.  Sometimes the truth will be found while we are yet alive, other times the truth is found once we have passed away – either way the cost is great.

We will all stand before God at some point.  He is a live witness to our wayward ways and speech.  I pray for boldness today to catch myself making those small mistakes and ask God for help to overcome the temptation.  If I should catch myself yielding to the temptation, I must ask for forgiveness.  May the seeds of complacency and willingness to allow evil at all in my heart be something that I lay aside in my decision to be a follower of Jesus.

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personally

I think it starts with this simple understanding – to show that your praise, prayer, giving – in other words worship comes from you, out of an expression of what is in your heart, it has to be given voluntarily and therefore if this gift of worship you bring to God is from you, then bring it yourself, with your own hands and heart to God.

It is so easy to read someone else’s material, pray someone’s else prayer, quote someone else’s poem, sing someone else’s song, dance someone else’s dance when we come before God.

Has to sadden Him that we cannot engage Him personally.

It does take time, and it does take effort which might be two of the best reasons we do not engage personally with God, even though He sits everyday in the livingroom of our heart waiting to share, give, bless, listen…

There is no one like me in the world – and God knows that what comes out of me is going to be unique, special, touching and a blessing to Him – so He waits patiently for me to come forward with an offering from my hand and heart.

We cannot rely on other people praying for us – let’s pray ourselves.  Let’s take time to express our thanks to God, personally.

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intentions

“Stole the heart,” κλέπτειν νοῦν kleptein noun. The heart is the seat of the understanding in Scripture. To steal the heart of anyone is to act without their knowledge. There is no notice given to anyone on what are your plans.

To take the knowledge of anything away from a person is to deceive them.

So let’s consider the fact of who we are – followers of Jesus Christ.  What are our intentions to this regard?

The Bible teaches us the common duties of life, how to serve God, how to enjoy the blessings He bestows, and to do good in the various stations and duties of life.

Selfish people consider themselves robbed of all that goes past them, and covetousness will even swallow up natural affection. Opportunity is given to overvaluing worldly wealth which is the root of covetousness, envy, and all evil. The people of the world stand in each other’s way, and every one seems to be taking away from the rest; hence discontent, envy, and discord.

But there are possessions that will suffice for all; happy are those who seek them in the first place.

In all our intentions we should have respect to the command and promise of God. If He is with us, we need not fear. The perils which surround us are so many, that nothing else can really encourage our hearts. To remember favoured seasons of communion with God, is very refreshing when in difficulties; and we should often recollect our vows, that we fail not to fulfil them. (Matthew Henry)

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