Turn on the Light!

Some days, I stay in a chapter a day or two, so today we’re still in John 3. Verse 21 says “But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.” Whoever lives by the truth…I know that I have shared before my huge issue with people pleasing. Each year I continue to take steps forward, but still find I have days where I fail. It usually happens like this: The question comes. The question may be “What would you like to do on your birthday?”, or “Mom, can I go to the concert this Thursday with all of my friends?” and before I have time to think like the NEW person that I may, the old me responds and says something like, “It doesn’t really matter” or “Probably” and I make the turn. The turn for me is the point at which I start heading down the slippery slope of being less than truthful. My motive may be to not hurt someone’s feelings, to say what I think they want to hear or in the case of my kids, saying something to avoid an argument. Once again, through these verses, the Lord reminds me “whoever lives by the truth comes into the light”. I want to walk in the light…not just in a general life-long sense, but in a moment by moment sense. I hope you do too!
By the way, I did clean my house on Wednesday with no yelling. How good it is when I walk in obedience!
My daughter, Madi, just asked me: “Mom, did you once tell me that Jesus will quit talking to us if we don’t obey? If so, how do we get Him to talk to us again if He has quit?” Click on comments below and let me know how you would have responded to Madi.

Lynn

One Comment

  1. Well, Lynn, you’re really giving me much to ponder as I start my day.

    I’m guessing you may have been referring to Psalm 66:18 when you spoke with your daughter. “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me”. Sin/disobedience can be a reason for God’s silence. However, we also know that if we confess our sin God is faithful and quick to forgive, so the lines of communication can open in an instant if we come in true repentance.

    I believe the Lord always longs to talk to us. I don’t think it’s so much of a “how do we get God to talk to us”, but how do we allow Him to and how do we prepare our hearts to listen.

    In 1 Corinthians 2 it talks about how God reveals secret things to us by His Spirit. He wants to talk to us. Any silence that we experience from God has a purpose. Sometimes sin stands in the way and sometimes He is calling us to a deeper level of intimacy as we trust Him in the silence.

    Sensing that your daughter is wanting God to speak to her heart. Praying that she will experience Him speaking to her today.

    Blessings,
    Joy
    PS. I struggle with the whole “people pleasing” thing too, although as I’ve come to know that God accepts and loves me unconditionally, the pull there has lessened greatly!

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