In this age of information people are unable to escape the scrutiny of their peers. Nothing is able to fly under the radar of our friends and associates. Much of the time we fall victim to their opions and sometimes even allow ourselves to governed by them. That's what we define as people pleasing. As long as no one is offended by our actions we are fine with ourselves. The issue is, there will always be those who are offended by the things we do. One person may agree and another disagree. Neither of them are wrong. They are both entitled to their opinions. The real issue is the individual who is not aware of their own. When we release our own desires for the sake of attempting to please others we fall victim to the spirit of people pleasing.
Solomon said, "The whole duty of man is to fear God and keep His commandments.(Ecclesiastes 12:13)" If we are to fear God rather than man how do we get caught by the temptation to surrender to man? Could the lack of purpose or knowledge of purpose be the reason? We perish because we lack knowledge and sometimes reject knowledge.(Hosea 4:6) The knowledge of purpose is important for us as individuals and as members of the Body of Christ. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose. (Rom. 8:28) God assigns purpose to man's life. God also appoints things to enlighten and to mature the believer. It's those things that cause man to waiver back and forth and to sometimes be influenced by others expectations. God's ways are not always understood or even visible. We are placed in situations that encourage our growth and maturity. We learn to trust in God. We learn that every person has an opinion and is entitled to have one. We as believers have to be transformed. Our expectations have to be redirected. Man can not assign purpose to our lives, neither can he produce growth and or maturity. Our relationship with the Lord is what provides for us the things we can not provide for ourselves.
Purpose is assigned by God. The scripture states, "to them who are called." Christ said He came to call sinners to repentance. (Matt. 9:13,Mk. 2:17, Lk. 5:32) Those who recognize they are sinners should understand they are also called. The call is first to repentance then into purpose.(Heb. 11:6) In order for purpose to be fulfilled there must be a process. The process is called salvation or deliverance. Man can be released from the power of the flesh only by recieving God's power.(Jn. 1:12) Recieving God's power means a side has been chosen. Man can choose to remain in sin or be saved set free and delivered by the power of God. Once on God's side His power must be relied upon to endure. We struggle with the flesh to remain faithful to a God who is all spirit.(Jn. 4:24) There is nothing good in the flesh. We can not enter into the heavenly realm in the flesh. We must be changed. The motions or the actions of the flesh must be destroyed for the life in the spirit to thrive with us.
The battle ground must be defined if we are going to as Paul put it, "war a good warfare." (Tim. 1:18) We struggle against spirits that would desire we carry out the deeds of the flesh. (see Gal. 5:19-21) These are the things we fight to resist. They are spirit and we have been given power. 2Cor. 10:4(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) If our weapons are not carnal it is safe to assume our enemy is not carnal either.
Eph. 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Our surroundings are filled with opposition. Those things that are in opposition to God are also in opposition to us. Let us seek the will of God to know our struggle and purpose in our hearts to press using the power we have been given to endure.
No comments:
Post a Comment