"This next sentence is one of the most important spiritual truths you will ever learn: God develops the fruit of the Spirit in your life by allowing you to experience circumstances in which you're tempted to express the exact opposite quality! Character development always involves a choice, and temptation provides that opportunity. For instance, God teaches us love by putting some unlovely people around us. It takes no character to love people who are lovely and loving to you. God teaches us real joy in the midst of sorrow, when we turn to him. Happiness depends on external circumstances, but joy is based on your relationship to God. God develops real peace within us, not by making things go the way we planned, but by allowing times of chaos and confusion...Integrity is build by defeating the temptation to be dishonest; humility grows when we refuse to be prideful; and endurance develops every time you reject the temptation to give up."
- The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren
* The italics and exclamation marks were in the book. I didn't add them!
I have been reading The Purpose Driven Life for like forever. I read the excerpt above yesterday and it was really interesting because I don't think I ever thought about temptation like that. The word temptation just sounds bad to my ears, but then in another sense, it's a good thing. Each time you overcome a temptation you develop your character and become more like Jesus.
Reflections.
"What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe-- as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building." - 1 Corinthians 3: 5-9
In these verses Paul shows the Corinthian church that all of God's servants had one purpose. Church members should not be divided based on which speaker they favor, but they should be united because they all serve one - Jesus. These verses reminded me that all the glory belongs to Jesus. When people see me, I don't want them to see me, but I want them to see Jesus. When you see your reflection, who do you see? When there are successes in ministry, we need to remember to thank God because God makes things grow. All I can do is to do the work God wants me to do. All the glory in my life belongs to Him!
Through the Harvest Festival this past weekend, God reminded me that the only life living is a life living for Jesus. Everything else will fade away. Even our closest friends can't always be by our sides, but God will always be there. Always.
The weather this weekend was amazing! It totally confused me today. Everything looked like winter, but it felt like spring. I love spring weather. I also slept a lot this weekend. I usually never get to sleep in, but I had a whole three days to sleep in! Then I took a nap each day too...haha.
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