Are You Growing in Christ?

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Are you GROWING in Christ, or are you stagnant in your walk?

In order to grow, we must be “willing” to crucify the flesh, die to self and obey the Holy Spirit.

It’s a daily cleanse.

What does that look like in REAL TIME?
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What are you listening to?

What are you watching?

What conversations are you having with friends?

How do you act outside of church?

What types of social groups do you enjoy?

What do you hunger and thirst for?

Is your motive purely to seek the heart of God, or is your motive to be known as a godly person by (church) people?

Do you practice self-control or do you indulge in whatever your friends indulge in?

Is your personal prayer life a time of self examination through the power of the Holy Spirit or a time of boldness that is void of the pursuit of holiness?

Do you LOVE PEOPLE?

People who may not look like or act like you.

People who do not believe like you.

People who annoy you.

People in your everyday life.

The fullness of God’s promises are made manifest in the lives of those who are “in Him” and “He is in them.”

Those who are obedient to The Holy Spirit.

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These are tough truths but, none-the-less, important truths that we must embrace if we want to grow closer to the Lord.

God help us to agree with You.

Help us to seek You with our whole heart.

2 Corinthians 7:1 (KJV)

“Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”

Cleanse Yourself.

Perfect Holiness.

Choose to say YES to God.

And... PREPARE TO RECEIVE THE PROMISES!

Miracles happen on fertile ground.

And... God speaks to those who “listen” with a humble and obedient heart.

#GrowInChrist #YesToGod #PureHeart #PureMotive #Obedience

Silence is Golden

In teaching marriage classes and doing biblical counseling, I have found that the biggest problem with most couples is their mouth.

In an effort to communicate, some speak their mind to the fullest extent, not realizing that every thought is not from God... not to be repeated... and, not healthy conversation.

Wrong words, finger pointing, accusations, negative outlooks, and hostile remarks only stir up strife. Friend, God's way is contrary to our impulsive, fleshly behavior. Self-control is a must if you want to cultivate healthy relationships.

Learn to listen more and talk less. Practice being slow to anger.

The devil is busy creating oppressive scenarios, throwing darts of skepticism and releasing the spirit of jealousy. His tactic is to get us offended. Then, once we are weakened by his evil blow, he assigns a horde of demons to fan the flames of anger, resentment, rage and wrath.

Don't allow the devil to push your buttons! Practice being quiet. Pray first. Talk second. And, speak in shorter, more impactful sentences that give God glory. Going on and on about a thought or feeling does not convince the other person of your need; but instead, only dulls their hearing. THEY TUNE YOU OUT!

Long, drawn out, conversations of discontent only acerbate the situation.

Yes, many times, silence is best. In fact, the Lord promises to fight our battles for us - if, we will just trust Him. And, learning to trust God requires self-control.

James says we are to be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry. Taking God's Word from the pages of our Bible to real life application can certainly be a challenge, but it is definitely doable. It all comes down to prayer and obedience.

Are you praying?

Are you seeking to be obedient?

Will you allow the Holy Spirit to have His way? Or, will you barrel through with patronizing, condemning, hateful and sarcastic words... because, you deserve it? Because you feel the need to vent? Because, it's just the way you are?

If you desire to have more friends, if you want to have a healthy marriage, or, if your goal is to be a person of influence, practice LISTENING.

Practice thought management.

Practice response delay.

Practice word filtering.

Every conversation does NOT require a response. Sometimes, silence is best. Learn to ponder thoughts more... and, speak less. God will increase your effectiveness in communication as you obey His precepts.

#Listen #SpeakLess

www.DeborahRossMinistries.org