Being Courages In Your Faith
From the preceding scripture reference, we cannot be kept responsible for the salvation of others especially after we ministered the word of God to them (Matthew 10:14; Acts 13:51). There are some people who simply don’t want to be reminded that they need to be saved from God’s coming Judgement (Isaiah 2:12; Matthew 10:15). In our experience during witnessing, when we reminded and warned people who sin without regard for God that they will be judged by the Lord if they do not make their lives right with the Lord they become angry and accusing us being judgmental (John 3:16-18).
Amongst Christians, when things are not going well with some Christians they are quick to blame the Lord and saying that life isn’t fair especially when they see how well others are coping with difficult situations (Proverbs 14:10). Additionally, and sadly though, some Christians depend on their pastor’s or ministers to pray for them. It is as if they are saying ‘fight my battles for me and I will be content to attend Church and make my contributions.' Wake up brethren! The Lord is warning such Christians, your walk in Christ would be fruitless and tainted with spiritual thorns which will ultimately result in a faith shipwreck if you do not personally take responsibility for your faith (1 Timothy 1:19).
A few years ago, my wife and I led our children to the Lord, and we showed and taught them how to walk with the Lord through constant reminders and encouragement. However today they know who to turn to when challenges manifest. Subsequently, our role as parents is restricted to prayer and encouragement while our daughters work out their own salvation.
Self-Pity
From what we know is that the spirit of self-pity has driven countless Christians from the Lord. You may ask exactly how? That is easy because they want the Lord to carry their cross (Luke 14:27). Scripturally, the Bible declares that the Lord will carry our burden of sin and worries (Matthew 11:28-29; 1 Peter 5:7). However, the pain of the cross is for us to bear and that is to keep us humble and dependent on the Lord (Mark 10:38; 1 Peter 4:12-13). Furthermore, exactly how do we know that we have a spirit of self-pity? Well, here it is right here! Do you have a complaining spirit? Do you like to make excuses and are you defensive? If you honestly answered yes then you would have identified the enemy to your spiritual progress.
Again, you may ask ‘how do I overcome self-pity,' simply take faith and courage with you and fear, worry, and hopelessness will be conquered and the Lord’s promise of keeping you will find meaning in you (Hebrews 13:5). In the account of the 12 spies that Moses sent out, just consider how the spirit of self-pity possessed the Israelite community after hearing the negative report of the ten spies (Numbers 13:31-33). The people’s faith in God faded, fear and despair set in and hope was abandoned, but Caleb and Joshua being faced by a sea of anger took up the shield of faith, courage, and hope and God’s promises were realized for them (Numbers 14:30). Thus, from this account, we learned that Caleb and Joshua stood out amongst the rest, took responsibility for their faith and subsequently inherited the Lord’s promises. In our lifetime, however, situations might be different, but God’s purpose remains the same, to save us and to provide for us a better place (John 14:3; Luke 19:10).
In conclusion, blame no one for your sins. Some might cause you to stumble, but you makes and implement decisions, are they faith-based and Christ-centered? Take ownership of your salvation by carrying your cross. A few years ago, a brother in the Lord committed an offense in which he blamed someone else for his actions. Consequently, the Lord was deeply displeased by the brother, and he was sharply rebuked, and the Lord told him never to blame others for the sins he commits. “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10 KJV).
If you have a desire to start trusting the Lord today, here is a Prayer of Sincere Repentance. For any questions or comments about this article or our ministry, please contact us.
Blessed Grace
Brother Glenn, Sister Desiree and Charis
