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Iya Laje · #37 (**permalink**) 03-17-2005, 08:38 AM

Okay guys, I was reading the message I was supposed to read yesterday today right, and this topic is something else. I felt like the message was talking to me, for real since sunday, every message that I hear whether in church, on TV adn now in the book has something to do with my spiritual life. God please help me overcome myself and my selfishness and focus more on you. Amen. So here goes the message:

"Diotrephes.......loves.....the preeminence." 3 John 9 NKJV

Examining your motives (1):

One pastor writes: "Years ago I wanted to lead a certain ministry. When I wasn't chosen I became angry. Of course I didn't show it. That's not to say that I didn't love God. I just wanted to serve me more than Him! By saying no, God was correcting a destructive attitude that would destroy any real ministry I might have later. When you represent God so visibly, it's nearly impossible for anyone to detect you're a fake....except God."

Many of us suffer from "approval addiction." The symptoms are: living in bondage to what others think of us; getting easily hurt by what they say; a nagging sense that we aren't good enough; trying to impress important people. And like all addicts we'll go to any lenghts to get a "fix."

Henri Nouwen writes, "Many of my daily preocupations suggest that I belong more to the world [than to God]. A little criticism makes me angry.....a little praise raises my spirits.....often I am like a small boat on the ocean, completely at the mercy of the waves."

Paul writes, "But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you......it is the Lord who judges me" (1Co 4:3-4 NRSV). Imagine recieving criticism as "a very small thing." Imagine being liberated from the need to impress, our self esteem no longer resting on someone else noticing how smart or how attractive we are. Imagine being able to actually feel love toward someone who expresses disaproval of us. It's not only possible, with God's help and a lot of hard work- it's attainable!

I hope this has blessed you as much as it has blessed me, I have to change my life around, I felt so guilty after reading this, and I know God wants to make a positive change in my life, and in your life too!

I'll come back with the 2nd part, but gotta go now, I'm in school ya know.