Friday Fight 90 - In Defense of our Deficiencies
Every Friday, when I wake and pray, God places something on my heart to help me fight darkness beginning in our minds. Today is FF90.
How often do we notice the Holy Spirit's attempts to correct something in our lives, being a habit or behavior? Of course, the Holy Spirit is a gentleman who patiently waits for us to understand this gentle correction. As a result, we are continuously redirected to Scripture to continue instilling the character of Christ in us. Of course, this is unparalleled; no person is capable of the same gentle correction as received from the Holy Spirit. So what about those who try to communicate an alternate perspective in hopes of helping us? Do we listen or become irritated at being corrected, even if it was done gently?
In Defense of our Deficiencies
We all have different gifts, skills, and qualities, children of God whose worth is solely in Him. We are all created differently and specifically for His purposes. When addressing deficiencies, some of us are more aware of our faults and can get defensive when those flaws are brought to our attention. I understand. It's much easier to come to our own understanding of what changes we need to make than having them pointed out to us. On the other hand, we all know people who proclaim open communication, but chaos ensues when any of their deficiencies are discussed. When this happens, our attempt to express gentle correction fails, and we are left isolated.
What typically happens in these situations, and how can we ensure genuine communication like this does not ruin a relationship? First, pray, be open to listening, then continue praying and ask the Holy Spirit to clarify things. Even when we care enough to confront someone's repetitive patterns, they may still defend their actions with excuses rather than genuinely listening to the correction of others, which could grow relationships rather than separating them with silence. When we enable and excuse our deficiencies rather than acknowledging and growing from them, we halt the growth of God in us without realizing it. We continually grow in God's grace when we understand that our deficiencies are God's opportunity to work in and through us. But we have to allow it.
Darkness works tirelessly, attempting to birth pride in each of us. Satan wants our lack of self-control to continue spreading. When we fail to accept our shortcomings, resisting temptation is complicated, and repeated failure is imminent. Every one of us is a work in progress. Listening to the gentle correction of others, spoken in love, allows the Holy Spirit to continue to work in and through us. Pride is only destroyed through humility.
As children of God with hearts that seek His grace and mercy, try keeping an open mind when others want to discuss a shortcoming or area of concern. Remember that if a person cares enough to have an uncomfortable conversation spoken in humility and with love, they may genuinely want to aid in the growth of others. When this happens, lift the conversation to God and wait for His response. If addressing someone, set your emotions aside and refrain from using other names to support your cause. A discussion like this is not about winning; it is about another person expressing concern with love and empathy. Instead of defending our deficiencies, give them to God and go before His throne with thanksgiving and praise.
Pastor Shannon