Lessons Part 2

““Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.””
Matthew 7:24-27 NLT
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As promised, I’ll share another lesson I’ve learned in my lifetime. I’ve touched on this before, but its such a strong lesson that it won’t hurt to share again. Pastors, Missionaries, men and women of God. Why do we put them on a pedestal? Yes we should respect them, definitely. However, putting them on a pedestal only harms us, why? They are human and they will fail. Just as we fail. Not one of us are perfect and that includes Pastors, Priests, Nuns, Bishops, and Missionaries. We are kidding ourselves if we think they are above a sinful nature.  I’m guilty, so much so that many years ago one evening, I fell on my knees crying out to God, why? I was mentally and spiritually hurt by a ‘Man’ of God, a pastor of a mega church. Somebody I trusted to be understanding and caring. Somebody I thought would be a person who would encourage and be patient with a struggling child of God. And, unfortunately this was not a single occurrence. I had a very suspicious and cynical attitude. And I still am reserved and careful. Listen to the public news about current evets and we have a recipe for spiritual disaster. (But of course, we know that God has this!)

Then, as I was led by the Holy Spirit to read His Word, I was shown the Godly men in the Bible. One after another, and how they messed up, failed big time. Yet, God still called them men after His heart, and He still used them for His Glory. What an eye-opening experience. Not only did this heart to heart conversation with our Holy Father bring me to understanding and a forgiving attitude, it helped me to forgive myself. I am one to constantly beat myself up for messing up, over and over. I am to be an example of what a Christian is, right? And I continually mess that up. It’s mostly the things I don’t do that I should. My selfishness, self-centeredness, satisfied to be in my comfort zone that are my biggest failures. God is working with and forgives me and keeps giving me chances, over and over. He is a Holy God that gives grace. He knows our hearts and He doesn’t give up on us. We must not give up on ourselves or others. We have no way of knowing the purpose or stories. We are to respect those who are men and women of God, and we are to love each other and pray for each other. Prayer keeps our attitudes in check and allows God to work in us and others.

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