In elementary school my best friend Michelle spent the night at my house and we giggled long into the night. We trusted each other with our disappointments and hopes. I thought she was trustworthy because at recess time, I could count on her to pick me to be on her team.
But one day, I didn’t live up to her expectations and her brows furled. Her lips pinched, and her freckled cheeks reddened. Then she turned to another girl in the class and revealed my secret to her. She tattled to the teacher and even worse my parents!
I’m certain you agree that it is important to select friends who are trustworthy, but let this sink in….
God chose you to be trustworthy. God trusts you with a secret, because His secret wisdom has been revealed to you by His Spirit (1 Corinthians 2: 7,10 NIV). Not only does he trust you with His wisdom, but he trusts you to share “the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.” He trusts you not to change it to fit your desires or the world’s expectations.
Whose wisdom do you rely on?
Perhaps a friend asks you for advice about a dicey situation with her neighbor:
Will you give her the world’s wisdom? Go for it! If it feels right, follow your heart’s desire! Everybody does it! Nothing is wrong with just being friends!
Or will you speak not in words by human wisdom but spiritual truths taught by the Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:13 NIV)?
Below is an example of scripture that may seem to be against human wisdom found in popular books and movies:
1 Corinthians 7:27 states “Are you married? : Do not seek a divorce. Are you unmarried? Do not look for a wife” (feel free to substitute with husband).
The above advice from Paul is very different from our world’s expectations. Divorce has become the norm for our culture. Many young men and women have been treated like something must be wrong with them if they aren’t dating.
However the scripture advises that unmarried people have more time to concern themselves with the Lord’s affairs. They can focus on how to please the Lord and to escape many troubles that married couples face together.
Sometimes instead of placing God at the center of our marriages, married couples may spend time focused on pleasing each other or their children.
But if you aren’t married then your “aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit” (1 Corinthians 8:33 NIV).
Of course if you are happily married as I am, your aim can still be to devote your body and spirit to the Lord. Your devotion may just be divided at times between your family and the Lord.
What if our friend doesn’t listen?
God has entrusted you to share the gospel with your acquaintances, friends, and family members. However, your family member’s reactions to the gospel are not dependent on you. “We can plant the seeds but only God can make it grow (1 Corinthians 3:6 NIV). We have to trust God that he has a good plan for our friends and families. We can continue to uplift them in prayer, but remember that God’s will and timing is perfect.
How do I acquire the Spirit of God?
If you welcome God’s Spirit to live in you, then you are sacred to God. When you accept God to enter your life, you become His temple (1 Corinthians 3:16 NIV).
If you are a servant of Christ then you have been entrusted with the secret things of God (1 Corinthians 4:1 NIV).
In her devotional book, Seeing Yourself through God’s Eyes, June Hunt describes being filled with the Spirit of God this way:
“Like the flashlight you were designed to shine, but you can never shine with your own power.”
Only the Spirit of truth sent by God himself “fills your soul- your mind, will, and emotions- with perfect truth. He teaches your mind, directs your will, and guides your emotions.”
If you have united yourself to the Lord then you are one with him in Spirit (1 Corinthian 6:17 NIV).
When you join your spirit with the Lord, then your body becomes a temple of the Lord. God himself places the Holy Spirit within you. For this reason, we should not grieve the Spirit but choose to honor God with our body (1 Corinthians 6:19 NIV).
How can we honor God?
- One way to ensure that we honor God with our body is to avoid hanging out with people who call themselves Christians but do not follow through with their actions. They may attend church, bible studies, and talk “Christian-ese.” However they do not practice what they claim. The scripture warns us to stay away from from so called Christians who are sexually immoral, greedy, slanderers, or alcoholics (1 Corinthians 5:9 NIV).
Ouch! Even many of our movie heroes have some of the same characteristics but are overlooked, because after all everyone has a vice.
I find it very interesting that Paul in 1 Corinthians 5:12 says he is not talking about all people who are sexually immoral, greedy, or drink excessively. He knew that sin runs rampart in our world and we would be hard-pressed to find friends who do not struggle with certain areas. However he warns us against people who claim to be Christians, but whose hearts are far from God. Paul said it is not his business to judge those outside the church. We are only called to judge those inside, because God will judge the others (1 Corinthians 12-13 NIV).
2. Another way that we can honor God is not to swindle people. Although we may laugh at the expression, “If you ain’t cheating, you ain’t trying.” This is not God’s way, he calls us to have financial integrity and treat everyone with fairness and/or generosity.
3. Consider circumstances from the Lord’s perspective. What would please the LORD? (1 Corinthians 7:32 NIV). The Lord is pleased by those who are devoted to him in body and spirit (1 Corinthians 7:34 NIV). If we seek him with all our heart, we will find him (Jeremiah 29:13 ESV).
4. If you desire to encounter God, Melissa Moore (Beth Moores’s Daughter) recommends for us to read the bible. In the bible study, Entrusted, she describes the bible a tremendous and mysterious power that nourishes our soul. The bible has power to write words on our hearts, so that they spring to our mind during times of crisis. The Word of God changes our reactions and brings hope where there is despair. On the pages of the bible we encounter Jesus Christ, our Savior, who strengthens us.
N.T. Wright suggests that scripture “is one of the points where heaven and earth overlap and interlock.” So be certain to dig into the word to find what God specifically chooses to reveal to you.
May I pray for you?
Heavenly Father, you are true wisdom and the Gardner who causes seeds to grow. We thank you for sending us the Spirit who teaches us truth. We welcome your Spirit into our soul, mind, will, and emotions. Help us Lord not to be sexually immoral, greedy, or a slanderer. Give us courage to hold those who call on your name accountable for their actions. Help us to remember that we are your sacred temple. Give us determination to devote our body and spirit to you. Thank you Lord, that when we seek you with all our heart, you reveal yourself to us. We ask for you to nourish our soul. In Jesus name, Amen.
May I offer you a gift?
| Click on the title to find a free link for a registration page for an online webinar masterclass, “How to be a working writer without losing your mind.” |
| Emily will help you learn what it means to be a working writer without selling your soul, self-promoting, or becoming a cartoon – things that cause writers to lose their minds. |
| The FREE webinar goes four times on Monday 5/20/2019 – so choose the time that works best for you. |
| Once you register, you will receive a reminder so that you don’t miss the the webinar. |
Another free gift you may enjoy is the Newbie Writer’s Pocket Guide. This pocket guide is extremely helpful to any writer, but specifically answers questions that many new writers ask.
Click here for another free download to the answers to the top 20 questions that writers ask.
I am a Hope Writer, and if you are interested in hearing from other Hope Writers , click here to listen about their experiences being part of the writing community.
Hope writers has a library of resources that are specifically designed for certain stages that writers move through. I am a stage 2 writer and am learning how to be a hostess for my readers. If you are interested to find out what stage of writing you are in, click here to take a short quiz to find out!
I would love to hear what writing stage you are in, so that we can encourage each other!
Hope Writers will be opening for new members on Tuesday, May 21st. If you would like to join the community of Hope Writers on Tuesday, May 21st, click here for the link to join.
If you have any questions about Hope Writers, feel free to ask in the comment section. The HW community has very helpful and encouraging to me as a beginning blogger!
April Jollie is a servant of God and the Lord Jesus Christ. She is a wife to a firefighter, a Mother of two college age sons and one lovable rescue pup. Her full time job includes Instructional Design & Technology Instructor at a college. Her background is teaching Elementary school. She considers herself to be a Thinking Math Enthusiast, a Write from the Beginning Believer, and Technology junkie.
Abide in Christ's Love 