The attitude of our hearts must be of grace and mercy or we fall short of our calling in Christ. What is the attitude of your conversations? How do you choose to converse with others? Do you focus on the pure and praiseworthy: speak with hope of the good God will bring into your life and the lives of others?
Breaking free from negative thinking and cynical speech is terribly difficult and yet, for the children of God it is of great importance! The believer is called to be light and salt to the world. How tragic it is if our light is dimmed by dark attitudes and our saltiness is overwhelmed with bitterness.
If Christians are not sincere about their passion for the lost and only focus on their own transformation, their hearts may become critical and cold towards others. Though we are commissioned by Christ to go into the world and share the love of God, the devil can get a foot hold when we measure ourselves against others: pointing out areas of weakness or sin in an other's life with a spirit of judgment or anger.
Oswald Chambers speaks about the need to have a discerning spirit towards others. He claims insight into a person's life is a divine gift and is meant to be a prompt for intercessory prayer. "One of the most subtle and illusive burdens God ever places on us as saints is this burden of discernment concerning others. He gives us discernment so that we may accept the responsibility for those souls before Him and form the mind of Christ about them (see Philippians 2:5)."
In other words, when we discern an area of weakness in an other's life, rather than ridicule or criticise, believer's should pray for the individual. Remarkably, when we set our minds to the task of intercession, suddenly transgressions against us become opportunity to release the power of God in some one's life. Though the work of the Spirit may take years to bring about change in others, the transformation for the praying saint will be immediate. Heeding the Spirit's prompts will build intimacy with the Lord and discernment will increase. Compassion will replace a critical spirit.
Chambers explains; "It is not that we are able to bring God into contact with our minds, but that we awaken ourselves to the point where God is able to convey His mind to us regarding the people for whom we intercede."
Having the mind of God towards others is key to praying the will of God in an other's life. Love being the foundation of it all.
This is indeed radical and higher thinking and does not come easily. We are prone to cry out when burned and lick our wounds...perhaps incessantly. Additionally, the enemy of every man's soul wars against our compassion for others: the devil tempts and trips believer's hoping to taint their testimony. He knows the harm of careless words spoken by Christians and behavior contrary to the word of God. Hypocrisy is the devil's joy for it destroys the believer's credibility. It also diminishes the power of God to transform people in the eyes of non-believers.
Though the devil toils we are told by God not to fear, for we possess a greater power through Christ Jesus. If we look to our lives and find that we have missed the mark in this area, let us not be dismayed. Instead, let us take hold of the insight and purpose to renew our minds. Pray for positive attitudes in all things. Rebuke negative thoughts and spirits. Remove ourselves from negative conversations and keep our distance from negative people. All the while, taking every opportunity with each encounter to pray first for ourselves and then others.
We must not be discouraged in our battle to break free of negativity. We must be resolved and patient. Repent quickly after stumbling and keep our eyes focused on the Lord. We can indeed overcome the world's negative, cynical and critical spirit.
Father, open our eyes to areas in our lives where we are negative and critical. Move us to repentance and renew our minds. Make your thoughts our thoughts. Help us learn to make every opposition an opportunity for intercessory prayer. We pray Lord, you are glorified in our lives.
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