Ah Brad, you are so right.

Vicki

----- Original Message -----
From: "Brad D" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, September 11, 2005 7:08 PM
Subject: Re: [ECHURCH-USA] Following the Holy Spirit


> 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.
>  >
>