Self-evaluation is a difficult thing to accomplish. Our natural preservation instincts kick in and we perceive our problem from the outside in. We feel that it is an outside circumstance or person that is causing our adversity.
Many times these things go on until we just learn to cope with them. That works with physical things but not with things that are causing us continued mental anguish. You can learn to walk on an artificial leg but you can’t deal with bad relationships and circumstances that never get any better. They haunt you in every area of your life.
Before these things can be dealt with, we must make that hard self-evaluation. The first thing we must ask ourselves is: “Did we play a part in bringing those things into our life?” Sometimes we did not have anything to do with creating those undesirable issues we are dealing with. If we did do something to create the problem we have to take steps to fix it. Decisions have consequences good and bad. The amazing reality is that it takes the same mindset to fix things we are, or we are not, responsible for. How can that be?
Jesus gave us the answer in Matthew 5:39; “But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.”
In Matthew 5:44: “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.”
This is the mindset that will win when adversity strikes. It is not our circumstances that result in our mental anguish, it is our reaction to our circumstances. Jesus wasn’t telling us to get beat up, He was giving us the attitude that will always win the battle. The love He is talking of is Agape love, the love that God has. It is an unconditional love that gives you the ability to love someone who does you wrong. If we learn this, those people can no longer control the way we feel. But it is only possible when we have the very presence of the Lord working in our life.
I Corinthians 2:16; For “Who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.
These are the life-changing truths we look into at the Gathering Place every Wednesday evening at 7 and Sunday morning at 9:30 and 10:30. Why not come and join in?
