Ecclesiastes 7:18-20 “…..a man who fears God will avoid all extremes”
Wow. This says a mouthful. I’ve been observing and thinking about extremes lately. It’s in politics. People are extreme about sharing their opinions, (invited or not). Extremely liberal. Extremely Conservative.
Years ago, the Lord literally arrested me with the passage of scripture above. He let me know, I was being extreme at the time. We were denied ice cream as a kid, so we get obsessed with ice cream. Or fun. Or money. Whatever we didn’t have, that’s what we tend to crave the most.
I see it in the church too. We were denied spiritual gifts, so that’s all we think about. In my case, I went through a time I did not cherish the old hymns as I should have, simply because I was afraid of being stuck there, and not experiencing all God had for me. I got extreme.
I was extreme about spiritual warfare at one time, and pretty much thought everything bad was the devil. Truth be told, everything bad or twisted DID originate from him. But whether (the enemy) shot a flaming lie in to our minds which has to be extinguished (Ephesians 4) or whether he planted a bad seed that grew into a giant weed (Matthew 13), depends on the particular situation. We need to see and discern.
As people shout from the housetops what they believe we need to think, it’s a cultivated and deliberate process to continue asking God what to think. “Give us your viewpoint Father, for we truly want to know!”
Those who do this are walking a lonely road, off by themselves somewhere. While the rest of the world shouts and argues, they are quietly reflecting on what the bible says, while simultaneously asking the Holy Spirit to help them apply those words in a truly effective way. A heart set on growing, is a heart set on God.
Please pray with me: “Father, in Jesus’ name, please forgive me of extreme thinking. Show me the areas where I have been extreme. Brace me for your loving correction. Help me stay humble. I want to learn.”
Amen Minister of the Lord and his servant, Laura Grace
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