It does hit home Vicki, but you know what? You'd really have something to
worry about if it didn't hit home. It is because of  it does hit home,
that we are afforded grace and mercy at all.

Brad


on 04:39 PM 9/11/2005, Vicki and The Rors said:
Ouch Brad.  Good points.  Thanks for sharing.  Sometimes I wonder if for
all
this time I've lived on this earth, how it feels like I seem to know so
little about what the Lord would have me to do.  That's probably why this
hit home.

Blessings,
Vicki

----- Original Message -----
From: "Brad D" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, September 11, 2005 2:36 PM
Subject: [ECHURCH-USA] Following the Holy Spirit


 > Recently I was listening to a sermon which focused on a litmus test
that
 > might help determine whether or not I was following the will of God for
my
 > life, that is following the Holy Spirit's guidance in life. The three
 > checkpoints were
 >
 > 1. Am I frustrated?
 >
 > 2. Do I irritate others?
 >
 > 3. Am I jealous or envious?
 >
 > I wouldn't limit these three negative or selfish emotions to that test
for
 > sure as certainly there are others that would also serve to show the
same
 > result, but I found myself focused on these three. I began to think of
 > jealousy or envy. I found myself looking back at various thoughts or
 > aspirations I had and found they were birthed out of a jealous or
envious
 > heart. I look at some I know who never seem to have financial issues,
 > plenty of money to go around, and actually to be even more sinful as
long
 > as I'm at it, notice they spend it very foolishly and much on self
 > indulgences. I sit back and wonder if I had that, how I could not only
 > live better personally, but just think how much I could help others in
 > need. Either buy them something they need, or give them money to help
them
 > through a rough time, help fund a missionary work in other countries,
go
 > on a mission work myself, and here these folks just spend spend spend
 > foolishly. And so, I found myself feeling jealous and envious of what
they
 > have, the lifestyle they now have. Granted it wasn't always this way
for
 > these people, they worked for it for sure, but still I had those
feelings
 > nonetheless. Convicted after hearing this message on following the Holy
 > Spirit, I realized that perhaps my discontentment is birthed not out of
a
 > real need fore more things and better lifestyle, but  that I really
don't
 > have a clue on what god wants me to do with my life, and that I'm
really
 > not letting the Holy Spirit guide me. Or if I am following what God is
 > saying, I've fallen off the spiritual wagon and drifted off to selfish
 > desires. It occurred to me that if I really, honestly, and confidently
was
 > following the guidance of God through the Holy Spirit, it wouldn't
matter
 > if a neighbor lived a life of perverseness and suddenly won the
lottery,
 > or if a different neighbor who was a continuous financial bumbler
 > inherited a wealthy estate and now is set for life, or any number of
 > scenarios that seemed unfair or unjust were to be witnessed. If I felt
I
 > really was following god, I would indeed be joyful, and satisfied where
I
 > was no matter what I had or did or the like. Perhaps one might parallel
it
 > to a husband and wife relationship. If a wife notices that a neighbor
was
 > getting a bit friendly with her husband and she was glued with a
boiling
 > rage as she watched them converse, if their spousal relationship was
not
 > solid, jealousy would rise and take over her will. Where as if they had
a
 > rock solid and integretous relationship, she could probably glance over
 > and without a care go change the clothes in the washer or some abstract
 > task. In other words, if we find discontentment, frustration, find
 > ourselves cool towards others or otherwise irritate or aggravate them,
 > become jealous or envious, perhaps we need to look at where we are in
 > relationship with God through his guidance by the Holy Spirit.  If we
are
 > indeed following God, what could we possibly be frustrated, irritated,
 > envious or jealous about? We would know that where we are presently, no
 > matter what others may have has no affect on us as God is in control
and
 > we are in tune with what is best for us. We know that God wants us to
live
 > peacefully, abundantly, live prosperously and fill our days with his
joy,
 > and the best method of achieving that in our own individual lives is to
 > follow God keeping our eye on him and not our neighbor. We can live
 > prosperously, abundantly, peacefully and joyfully no matter how much
money
 > we have, no matter what we are going through currently in life knowing
 > confidently we are following God and just where we are meant to be at
this
 > time.
 >