What To Renounce

September 15th, 2014 by JDVaughn Leave a reply »

We have renounced the hidden things of shame . . .  —2 Corinthians 4:2


Have you “renounced the hidden things of shame” in your life—the things that your sense of honor or pride will not allow to come into the light? You can easily hide them. Is there a thought in your heart about anyone that you would not like to be brought into the light? Then renounce it as soon as it comes to mind—renounce everything in its entirety until there is no hidden dishonesty or craftiness about you at all. Envy, jealousy, and strife don’t necessarily arise from your old nature of sin, but from the flesh which was used for these kinds of things in the past (see Romans 6:19 and 1 Peter 4:1-3). You must maintain continual watchfulness so that nothing arises in your life that would cause you shame.“. . . not walking in craftiness. . .” (2 Corinthians 4:2). This means not resorting to something simply to make your own point. This is a terrible trap. You know that God will allow you to work in only one way—the way of truth. Then be careful never to catch people through the other way—the way of deceit. If you act deceitfully, God’s blight and ruin will be upon you. What may be craftiness for you, may not be for others—God has called you to a higher standard. Never dull your sense of being your utmost for His highest—your best for His glory. For you, doing certain things would mean craftiness coming into your life for a purpose other than what is the highest and best, and it would dull the motivation that God has given you. Many people have turned back because they are afraid to look at things from God’s perspective. The greatest spiritual crisis comes when a person has to move a little farther on in his faith than the beliefs he has already accepted.
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September 15, 2014

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

Lord, this devotional by Chambers tells me that in no way should I operate on my own; in my own craftiness, with my own designs. How do we do that Lord? How do we really let go of our natural inclinations to be “right”, or appear to be right? Am I crafty? Indeed. I have a tendency to want to prove my points, make myself heard, and to send messages that tell others I am a “good person”. How can I live out this devotional?

And God says…”I know it sounds redundant, but you can only live out this devotional by surrendering yourself to Me. When you “try” to be a better person, with more personal discipline, study, and prayer, you will, and have, grown significantly. However the place to start each day and your real growth is in surrendering yourself to Jesus. Because you cannot “will” or “discipline” yourself to the point of being 100 percent acceptable to Me or even yourself.”

“When you have surrendered and are connected, Jesus lives through you, and there is no need to “appear to be right”.  You are not compelled to be something you are not; being right or wrong, is the last thing on our mind. Being connected is the primary issue for you. As the scripture and song says, the One living inside of you is greater that he that is in the world. And know that when I see you, I do not see your need for shame, or correction. I see only Jesus.”

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