After letting Jesus have control of my life I never intended on going back on the offer. When I married I never intended on getting a divorce. When I sinned (many times) I didn't intend on hurting anyone. We have lots of intentions that turn to regrets over our lifetime. Some of them seem petty while others are life shattering. You, like me, may have intended to follow the urging by the Holy Spirit to share the Gospel with someone and then didn't. Are they now saved? Did someone else come along and do the job you and I chose to not do? Wishing and hoping are not equated with doing and completing. Paul wrestles with this when he said, "those things I know I should do, I do not and those things I know I should not do, I do. Wretched man that I am." At least we have good company. I don't like that factor in my life. Yet, I struggle from time to time to think, do and say what God wants me to think, do and say. In fact, I sometimes find myself consciously going about ways to avoid that which is important. Maybe you do as well. However, it's not what God intended we should do. He always does what he says he will do.
We're not perfect. Perfection will come when we enter heaven. When we consider our lives and how they are being lived today questions remain on whether or not we are doing what we are supposed to do. It's important to understand that we have become part of a culture here it's said "it's not my job." Yet, Jesus says, "you are your brother's keeper." When we confess Jesus as Lord we are set apart from the world by God who has a plan for all of our lives. The plan calls for us to surrender and let Jesus live his life through us. The plan calls for our putting aside self to listen to the Holy Spirit speak to and through us. The plan calls for obedience because of love and not because there is a law. The law has been fulfilled in Christ and we are no longer shackled with laws that we cannot keep. The life, death and resurrection of Jesus sets us free to be Christ to the world. Without that love we are nothing more than clanging cymbal's. I don't intend to be that to the world I've been set within. Yet, sometimes I don't do what is intended to be done.
My life's story is marked with results of both sides of the equation. Where I've followed the intentions of God there are people who now know Jesus and others that are blessed because of the Word living within me. I've been able to surrender and be available in ways that show the love of God to others. A kind word here, a listening ear there and lots of encouragement have been those things that God wants to give to others. How hard is that? Yet, there have been times where I've engaged in sin with others and did nothing to share the Gospel with them. Yes, I've confessed my sin and God has forgiven me. That's no the issue. The issues are the missed opportunities to share Jesus and see people's lives changed. When we find ourselves blaming this or that we encounter signs that tell us and others that we are not accepting responsibility for our sin. James tells us that sin is manifested in this way: "if we know what is right to do and don't do it, we sin." How many of you reading this have, like me, fallen into this hole? Doing what God intends means looking past yourself and seeing the world around you from God's eyes. Remember that it's always your choice.
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