While praying the other morning, the Lord “spoke” to me, you know that still small voice. He will speak to all of us — one way or the other (sometimes whether we want to hear it or not), when we take our cares, our worries, our thoughts our praise to Him. I was praying about a particular situation, one I’ve been praying about for years. I spoke my prayer – Lord, I am so tired of their bad attitude and insolent behavior! He whispered – As am I! No kidding, that’s exactly what came to me. It’s funny how He seems to speak loudest in His whispers.
I was like that’s great, we’re both on the same wave length, we both feel the same about this situation and now things are going to change, answers to prayer are forthcoming. Finally, this disposition that makes everyone uncomfortable and leaves all around feeling inadequate and wondering what they’ve done to that person to deserve such treatment or nontreatment, is going to be taken care of. WooHoo! After years of praying – breakthrough — the Lord understands – can’t you hear the chorus of angels – Ahhhhhhh? The Lord has seen how others have to walk on egg shells, guard every word and be uncomfortable and I just know He’s going to do something about it. As I was pondering what life could be like in this situation, think bliss, I hear the bird song do do do do do do…
…ERCH, STOP, WAIT…WHAT?!?!?! For about half a second I thought, what’s He mean by that? Is He talking to me? Naw, impossible! I drifted back to my bird song paradise. But my mind continued to hark back to that thought, As am I, what does that mean? He’s going to handle it, right? Wait, who’s He even talking to?
And then, THWACK! It occurred to me that The Lord may have been speaking tongue-in-cheek. What an idiot am I! For sure He was talking about the other situation, but for sure, He was talking about me. How do I know that? Because the Lord speaks correction to His children. I am a child of God.
I’m slowly (turtle like) learning that rarely, if ever, are God’s messages just for other people. The same messages, healings, rebukes and corrections He speaks for others, He speaks to me. Can I get a witness here?!?!?
You see, He may have had exactly the same thought about me as I had about the other situation – that’s the tongue in cheek. I am so tired of Beth’s bad attitude and insolent behavior! Five little letters speak volumes. As Am I. I feel sure He said it with a little smile on His face and kindness in His heart. Yes…Jesus loves me (and you)!
So, sounds like I need to not just pray for the other situation, but for my own. It dawned on me that I most likely definitely was treating insolence with insolence, bad attitude with bad attitude. Seems natural to me. But, if I am a child of God, I’m no longer a natural man (or woman), I’m a spiritual man (or woman). That changes everything, doesn’t it?
The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ. I Corinthians 2:14-16
Paul said it right there — as a child of God, I have the mind of Christ. When I really think about what that means, it’s a little like — Wow! I am His! I am equipped! I am adequate! I am a spiritual man (or woman) – can I get a witness here?!?!? The natural man (or woman) doesn’t have the mind of Christ. If one doesn’t have the mind of Christ one will naturally have a bad attitude and be impudent and disrespectful. The mind of Christ knows better than to treat bad attitude with bad attitude, contempt with contempt, difficult with difficult. If we don’t live like we have the mind of Christ, we live like a natural man, if we live like a natural man, the natural man will not see the mind of Christ. Got it? If we have the mind of Christ, we must act like it so others can learn to know Christ. Although He doesn’t need to, He has partnered with us, He works through us to reach natural man. Will we join Him? Will we confess our sins, put on the mind of Christ? With Him we never have to walk on egg shells, guard every word or be uncomfortable. I am loved, I am adequate, I have the mind of Christ. That’s the message to the natural man (or woman), to the world.
As Am I…Just As I Am.
Just as I am, though tossed about
with many a conflict, many a doubt,
fightings and fears within, without,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Just as I am, thou wilt receive,
wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve;
because thy promise I believe,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.