You know what I hate? When God uses my own words to convict me.
Now let me clear up any confusion. I don't mean that I hate God's conviction (though it can be uncomfortable). I mean that I hate that I seem so blind to things sometimes that I can say something and not see that God is telling me the same thing.
Let me get right down to it.
My kids. When they aren't drowning me with cuteness, they are usually testing every last nerve I have. One of the more frustrating things that they do is play on/sit on/lay on/jump off certain pieces of furniture in our living room. I don't keep many things off limits, just a couple, but they consistently disobey my very clear and oft repeated prohibitions from those couple things. It drives me CRAZY! I don't feel like it's deliberate. I don't know if they are just forgetting, or ignoring, or somehow misunderstand the simple two letter word 'NO'.
Here's the kicker. They'll inevitably start doing whatever it is that they are not supposed to be doing and then in a moment of sheer frustration I'll yell out something like "How can you possibly be doing what I've been telling you at least ten times a day every single day not to do!!!" Yeah. Then approximately 2.4 seconds later, heard just above the thumping sound of the blood rushing through the veins in my head/neck from the kid-induced rage attack, I hear that still small voice. And it says, "That's a good question. I was wondering the same thing."
Owned.
By my own words.
It's pretty effective though. And humbling. It reminds me that, although I've made some great strides in my walk with God, sometimes I can still be that rebellious child that I see in my preschool-aged kids. It challenges me to pay attention to what my Father is saying and make the necessary changes. I know the Christian life is a journey in faith toward maturity, I guess sometimes I just need that wake-up call that I'm not there yet.
How about you? Has God ever flipped your own words around on you? Did you learn from the experience?
1 comments:
I've been working on turning my whole life over to God (not just the parts "I" want help in). I am going through the Old Testament and I'll pause and say "God, these people are crazy to have you on their side then turn from you right after you save them." They do it over and over.
Well since I've started this new walk with God I'll feel him working on me through a message or song. Later I'll turn around and slip up on the very thing he was saying to me...I feel like a kid that was just told what to do and I replied I know God I know...then do the opposite. One thing I can say is those lessons I learned the hard way are the ones that stick. Kind of like kids and electrical outlets. Thank you Lord for being so patient with me.
-Matthew
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