Are we indifferent or judgemental when we should be affected ?

Thursday May 8 2012:

Revelation 3:19. “ I am the one who corrects and disciplines everyone I love.  Be diligent and turn from your indifference.”

How much time do we spend in conversation playing the role of the self righteous person who finds faults in others and feels the need to broadcast our findings when it should not be a concern to us? Why do we do this? 

Is it because we want others to think that we are perfect in  “those” areas or are we looking for approval for our own behavior? 

The Lord says He is the one who will correct and discipline.  When we take it upon ourselves to “straighten” someone out, we are saying that God is not capable of tackling this problem and we will do it for him. 

Many do not set out to conquer this particular quest but the result is the same! At times I have found myself in a tight predicament by taking the problems of others upon myself  that were none of my business and did not concern me in the least! Whenever I look back at some of the blunders I made in these areas, I know the answer was in prayer and giving the situation to the Lord instead of tackling it myself.

Having said this; we read further that there seems to be a fine line between interfering in the lives of others and becoming indifferent to the ways of God. The Lord is addressing the Church of Laodicea and I fear some of us are falling into the same category; we have become indifferent to the ways of the Lord. 

Very often, I find myself in silence when I should acknowledge the Creator or at least defend my faith. Are you like me sometimes?  The Lord impressed upon me that silence regarding a conviction is as sinful as speaking when we ought to be listening.

 I often find myself accepting language that used to offend my ears. Our television sets and movies are numbing our ears to cuss words and “gutter” language that was unacceptable just a few years ago. The same attitude holds true in our laws that are moving towards allowing actions that are not condoned in the Bible.  I feel we need to pray against a spirit of indifference and apathy in this area. In North America, it seems, we are afraid to say anything against the “worldly” ways as long as they do not affect us directly but the indirect effects can and will be devastating down the road.  The effects will be evident in our offspring and our grandchildren. It is time we, as Christians, stood up for what is right and good and holy!

Prayer for today: Dear Lord Jesus, Thank you for the wisdom in your Word.  Forgive me for speaking ill of others for my own edification. Help me to know when I should speak and when I should be silent.  Help me, also, not to become apathetic when I may be compromising my convictions or your holy precepts. Grant me wisdom in these areas Lord and make me what you want me to be.  In Jesus name, amen.