In this world, people are driven by their own needs. It is purely human nature. Our flesh is a relentless beast who continuously needs to eat. When it goes hungry, it throws a tantrum to get its way RIGHT NOW! It doesn’t care about anything and anyone else. Its only goal is to eat! The more food it gets, the more it wants. It is never satisfied.
What kind of food do you ask?
“Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Galatians 5:19-21, NKJV).
… Beware of people who do not have good intentions
Paul explains all the works of the flesh, which are the “food” for the beast. The only person who’s ever walked this earth that is innocent is Jesus Christ. Every single human being has fallen victim to the flesh beast in some way with one of these acts. Not one person is better than the next because we all have this flesh desire within us through the nature of sin. It’s not our place to judge others. However, Jesus wants us to be aware of people who do not have good intentions.
As a Christian person, I know that I am guilty of those sinful ways Paul describes. I have accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Savior, and I rely on His Holy Spirit to guide me. Once I accepted Jesus, it didn’t remove the ways of my flesh from me. I learned the truth about my habits and the grace God gave me. I still struggle with them because I am weak in my flesh.
How many times has that happened to you?
As soon as I have an outburst of anger, or there is dissension in my heart, I’m convicted. I have to continuously step aside and let the Holy Spirit work, so I don’t feed the flesh beast. It’s really hard not to react to certain things in my flesh.
Stressors occur in my life, and no matter how short-lived it puts me in a raw state. I’m running on adrenaline and not thinking as clearly as I would otherwise.
Jesus knows all of this because He searches my heart, just as He searches yours.
We have a pillar of strength in Jesus to help us, convict us, and correct us through His love and salvation.
People who have not accepted Jesus as their Savior don’t have the same outlook. They don’t have the pull of the Holy Spirit within them to guide them with the fruits of the Spirit. When Jesus taught about false prophets, He wanted His disciples (and us) to be aware of people who will try to deceive them, use them, and devour their spirit.
He wanted you to know how to spot a wolf in sheep’s clothing. They can use kindness to shield their true intentions. They want something and they’ll trick you until they get it. You won’t even know until it seems like it’s too late.
Jesus says, “You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?”
Someone can tell you one thing, but you will know their priorities by what they do. Really study how they spend their time and how they treat other people. You will see if they are a sheep or a wolf. We are all sinners; however, people who are far from God will not have the kind of loving fear of Him that you do.
The fruits of the spirit are love, kindness, gentleness, long-suffering, joy, peace, faithfulness, and self-control. Remember this when selecting those whom you spend time. Those who are sharing bad fruit may surprise you. In these situations, it’s essential to remain humble but aware.
You know how to spot the wolf in sheep’s clothing, now what?
Let it go. Don’t try to figure it out or analyze everything until you can’t think anymore. It’s wasted time to try and understand why. It just doesn’t have to do with you. It’s not about you. People like this will choose themselves over you every time.
Jesus warns against this because He wants you to put on the armor of God. He doesn’t want you to be deceived by them and pulled away from His purpose in your life. He is your personal Savior and wants to have a relationship with you. The Holy Spirit will help you have discernment about people around you.
Once you know how to spot the wolf in sheep’s clothing, here are five ways to arm yourself:
1. Pray every day
Building a relationship with Jesus will bring you closer to Him. The closer you are, the more you are filled with the Holy Spirit. You start to live your life for Him and not yourself. You begin to see His purpose for you and have an overwhelming peace
2. Read
Get in the word of God. The farther you are from it, the less you will remember. Know the truth by going right to the source. You may be surprised at how you can read the same verse many times, but on a particular day, it will have a different meaning to you.
3. Trust God to guide you through it
There are always tough times in life. Often at these times, certain people may show up to provide a seemingly effortless way out. Trust God and ask for understanding. He’ll show you the way.
4. Seek Counsel
If there is someone near you that has a strong love for God, seek them out. Jesus says you will “know them by their fruits” (Matt 7:16). You will know the faithful members of Jesus’ church because they will share the truth from God’s word. They are the people who are honest with you when others simply tell you what you want to hear. It may not always be the “leaders” in the church. Remember, know them by their fruits.
5. Obedience
The most important thing you can do is to listen to God. It’s so simple, yet so hard for us to do in our flesh. Listening to God’s voice and not your own when making choices in your life will help you have a greater awareness. The more you submit, the more He will guide you toward people and situations for His purpose. It takes practice every single day.
I hope you feel encouraged by this, and choose to spend time with God to have a good sense of discernment in your life. Please feel free to comment on the struggle to spot the wolves in your own life.
We have parts of ourselves that we wish didn’t exist. It could be a perceived flaw in our character or mistakes we’ve made in the past.
Those mistakes are often the ones we don’t tell anyone about.
We want to silence the regret to make it easier to move forward. Forget about it until it goes away. Sometimes you don’t even realize how much your past affected your choices because it’s buried so deep in your heart. It just burns inside of you until the smoke wakes you up one day and clouds your mind with grief.
Don’t let your regret bind you up any longer.
Trying to start over with a clean slate without facing it doesn’t remove the hurt. Accountability for what you have done helps you confess it to God. You can ask Jesus to forgive you. He’ll set you free.
Jesus is the rock in which you can stand, and no longer be enslaved by guilt. Not one person on this Earth is perfect and every one of us has made sinful mistakes.
Your purpose is not your pain
Your purpose is your heart, rebuilt from that pain through Jesus Christ.
You are the walking testimony of the work in your heart. If your heart is filled with hate or sorrow, you can’t share the goodness that is inside of you. Once you accept Jesus into your life as your personal Savior the Holy Spirit fills you with the fruits of His Spirit. You no longer have to be bonded to your sin because He has already removed it from you.
Letting go of the guilt that binds you is a choice you have.
But it’s not what saves you. Jesus has already paid the price for you. It’s not about you being worthy to accept His gift, it’s about Him being worthy to sacrifice. Take the focus off your sin and focus it on His grace. If you don’t know how to do that start by talking to Him. Ask Him to search your heart and remove the thorns within it.
You are the witness to what God is doing in your life.
You are the tablet He uses to share His love. That time when you were kind to someone for no other reason but because it was “the right thing to do” is a page in that book. The time you showed mercy to someone who’s hurt you or cried with someone who’s needed encouragement is your heart sharing that love with others.
What’s important is moving forward from the mistakes. Once you believe in Jesus as the Son of God you are a new creation.
You can embrace God’s purpose for you once your surrender
That doesn’t mean that you must forget about your past, it just means you don’t let it dictate your future. Many people around you may not see the change inside you or have an opinion about it. Even if that happens that doesn’t mean you aren’t different. Change in any person starts from the inside, with your heart, mind, and your spirit.
You believe but maybe those closest to you don’t. You know that He is the Son of God who chose to die and rise again so you could have eternal life through Him. You are a new creation, but your family remembers what you’ve done. They will be more skeptical than any new person you meet because they witnessed your sins and mistakes. They knew you as the person you once were. Until their heart is filled with the love and acceptance that Christ brings, they won’t be able to accept the change as a true transformation. This brings division into your household.
This is why it’s so important to be humble and kind.
You can impact those very people that question you by witnessing every single day in your life simply being who Christ called you to be. Sharing the fruits of the Spirit, which are love, peace, joy, gentleness, kindness, faithfulness, long-suffering, goodness, and self-control.
You are not going to change their heart, only God/Christ can do that. You are the branch; He is the vine that provides you the nourishment you need to share the fruit.
Remember you are not the rule, you’re the exception.
There will be many people you encounter in your life that won’t understand nor want to be a part of the love you have inside for God and Jesus. You can’t change their heart, but you can exhibit the change on your own. You are the vessel for the living word of God inside you. Your heart is His tablet. Your life is His legacy.
You have a story just like your patients. You hurt, you feel, you grieve, you break … but you are resilient. You aren’t defined by the situations you’ve experienced, but by the compassion and desire in your heart. God is with you while you heal and support your patients. He is there when you need it too.
Today, one of them is in trouble.
She is young but experienced in hospital years. She wants a normal life, but can’t breathe easy on her own. She has become dependent on the medicine that is supposed to help, not hurt. Her family is tired and doesn’t come around as much as they used to. She is stuck in the gown that never ends.
You stop by her room because her monitor is off and you want to see if she’s ok. She is lying on the bed. You immediately know something is wrong. You hope she’s sleeping because she hasn’t in two days.
You run to the bedside and see she’s lying on her side, barely breathing. She isn’t wearing the oxygen she needs. All of her attachments were ripped off like they were suffocating her.
You put the oxygen on her face and notice her lips are partially blue. You scream for help. You check for a pulse.
Is that a pulse? I barely feel it … wait … is that it?
You roll her on her back. You try to get the monitor and pulse ox attached to her afraid of what it will say. You work quickly but time stands still. You check for a pulse. Is it there? Faintly I feel it. Yes!!! I feel it … barely… but it’s there.
You yell at her … then talk to her … then yell again.
Help shows up … finally! Another person checking for a pulse. Barely convinced. A team starts working together on pieces of her like she’s a puzzle on a timer. IV lines, pads on her chest, lift the bed, prepare for intubation, run the blood pressure cuff, get the medications ready …
It’s time for you to speak to the team about what happened, but it’s still happening.
It was so long ago when you first walked in the room. You look at the clock. It’s been 9 minutes?! You need to be beside her. She knows you. She’ll listen to you. You just talked to her yesterday about things she wanted to do in her life. She just said how she was going “to start writing again and do something” with her life.
Wait, don’t call her that, she won’t respond to that name.
You feel a ball of hurt rise in your chest but you stuff it down and stay calm. You tell the team about her history and what happened when you walked in. Her doctor is there to back you up, but doesn’t know what you know.
What’s happening? You see people huddled around her head trying to do something.
They’re trying to help her sit up. Is she awake? No wait, they’re turning her. The respiratory therapist is at the head of the bed about to assist the doctor with the breathing tube.
She’s sedated … or was she already?
You feel like you should be next to her talking to her, but you’re a bystander. You don’t want to get in the way but you’re the only real support she has. Is she breathing yet? Is she dying? She’s dying … But I thought she would get the antibiotics and get better. She just did so well yesterday. We talked yesterday.
The tube is in.
Ok, now what. What’s the plan? Should I ask? No, I’ll just listen … ICU, but do they know her? Did anyone call her family? Even though they haven’t been here in a month …
“I’ll help you take her over there … Karen can you watch my patients?”
“It’s ok, we got it” The ICU nurse says to you, approvingly but confirming that your work here is done.
Now what? Saying a prayer for her is the best intervention you can offer.
A couple days afterward you still see her name on your patient list in the medical record just in the different location. Her name immediately reminds you of what happened.
You move on.
You have other patients. You can’t think about her because you get so worried it makes you feel sick. You want to know how she is, but can’t bear to look.
Two weeks later you see one of the respiratory therapists in the hall on your way to the cafeteria. You know he knows about her. Should you ask? He beats you to it.
“Hey did you hear about the patient you sent over a couple weeks ago?” He said glumly.
“No, is she ok?”
“Well, she passed away last night. She wasn’t doing well. Every time we tried to wean her off the vent she got worse. She got pneumonia and just couldn’t pull through”
Bam! A freight train right in the chest.
Why!? She was so young! What did I do? What didn’t I do? She was supposed to start writing again.
The tears welled up so fast, the strong nurse mask was unable to hide them. Right there in the hallway to the cafeteria you were crying. You just felt it.
You carry with you the death, pain, and sorrow. Your patients are part of you, no matter how hard you try to separate yourself. Separating yourself from the compassion would remove the part of you that made you want to be a nurse in the first place.
Where there is death, there once was a life you helped.
Where there is pain, you once provided healing and comfort.
Where there is sorrow, there once was hope.
Some patients you keep in your heart because once they got in there they never left.
You have a need that is not fulfilled but you are stuck. Desperate for answers but you get silence. Maybe you want to advance in your career, buy a new house, or even give up something but are unsure. There is a passion in your heart to make a change but you have no idea if it’s the right path.
Guess what? You won’t get the kind of guidance you’re looking for
Perhaps you are going through something right now that is causing you to be extremely torn. Torn between choices. As a result, you are stagnant. You can’t decide because you don’t know which choice is the best for you, so it brings you to a halt.
Sitting still never made anyone feel comfortable, so you start to squirm.
You want to take control. But how? Mistakes in your past haunt you and right now you don’t trust yourself to make a good decision.
Some of the most impactful decisions you’ve made in your life maybe didn’t seem like big choices at the time. You could’ve been one choice away from a very different life and don’t even realize.
Every day you have a chance to change something with a choice.
It’s easy to get caught up in your routine that you don’t recognize your blessings. Once disaster strikes, we finally notice what we’ve taken for granted. Remember, you’ve made great choices that have led to amazing things too. Equip yourself with the armor of God to help you realize when you need to step aside and let Him work.
When you are going through a time in which you are torn, you are being tested. The passage says to “count it all joy when you fall into various trials,” but joy is the last thing from your mind. Your stuck. As a result you can’t see the way out, only the way down deeper into the quicksand that’s pulling you.
Confusion is the perfect place to keep you stagnant and struggling.
God will often be silent.
But Satan will not.
He will chase you with things that keep your mind in turmoil. This forces you to choose the path of least resistance. You tell yourself that God doesn’t want turmoil for you so you choose the easy way.
Then you’re trapped. One choices leads to another … then another …. until you are spiraling so far from what God has wanted for you in your life. The fear of this moment is exactly why you were struggling to begin with.
It seems like you are down a rabbit hole with no hope anymore because now you’re stuck … again.
So how do you know when to wait on the Lord?
You don’t.
But He does.
He knows when you need to wait and His Holy Spirit is the one who guides you. You are torn because you are flesh and spirit. Your flesh will choose the path of least resistance because that’s accepted in the world. Sometimes it’s hard to spot because it seems harmless, but leads to a rocky path that’s more difficult to travel.
Here’s Linda’s story …
Linda has been feeling stuck in a rut with her job. She feels like she just can’t do it anymore. She has been at the same company for five years and she has advanced as far as she can go. She likes the people she works with but she doesn’t get fulfilled anymore. Lately she’s been pulled toward a change.
She has always thought of starting her own business, but not sure when is the right time. One day she is completely fed up with the amount of work she is tasked because she’s the most knowledgeable in her department.
“My reward for doing a good job shouldn’t be more work!”
There aren’t many other people that can do what she does in her company. She has so many clients that have told her they would follow her if she ever made a change. When she went home that day she was so frustrated she decided to start her own company.
Over the next few months she researched ways to get it up and running and was very excited. She remained at her current job but wasn’t performing as well as she normally would. She didn’t much care because she was so focused on branching out on her own.
Her work suffered
She got a phone call from one of her best clients and she assumed it was to chat like they’ve always done.
“Linda, I wanted to reach out because I value our relationship. My business has been doing very well and we have an opportunity to merge with a great company. I’m confident it will double our revenue by the end of the year.”
“That’s great Tim! I’m happy for you!”
“Thank you … But I have some not so great news. I’m not going to need the services you provide moving forward. I’m so sorry Linda. I wish you the best with everything”
Speechless and confused Linda didn’t know what to say. “Well Tim, I understand. But we’ve been doing business together for years … can I ask why?”
“Well, to be very honest Linda I’ve noticed a change in your work over the past few months. You always do such a great job but some of the information was incomplete. A few of my customers needed refunds and were very unhappy … that’s why I’m reaching out today.”
“I really wanted to have you be our liaison when merging with the new company, but the quality of the work was an issue. My new partners and I collaborated and everyone was very objective. I hope everything is going well with you. I care about your well being and I really don’t want you to take this personally. It truly is a business decision.”
Linda was crushed.
Tim brought in so much revenue for her company, but with the merger his company was going to be even more lucrative! She had planned on taking this client with her when branching out on her own, but she didn’t know what to do. She not only lost the client for her new company, but her current company as well.
Linda had every right to be upset because it’s true, the reward for good work shouldn’t be more work.
However, she let her emotions lead her decisions.
Tim had already started discussions with the company leadership in which he was going to be merging about her, and how talented she was at her job.
Linda was going to get the promotion she yearned for and the change she desperately needed.
She was too focused on what she wanted instead of pausing to listen to the Lord.
So what happened?
Linda made an emotional decision. She will have to rebuild her reputation in her company, and industry, which will double her workload… again.
She wanted a change for the better and thought the only way was to do it herself.
She thought of starting her own company out of frustration, not peace or joy.
God was already setting up blessings for her which would’ve equipped her dream of her own company. She could’ve been able to start it with passion and joy instead of frustration.
Waiting on the Lord is one of the most difficult parts of submission.
That is where trust comes in.
He knows your heart and every single need you crave.
He searches your deepest desire and knows the unique abilities He’s given you. He wants to align His purpose for you according to the desire in your heart. If you are prompted to seek Him, He will ensure you find Him.
Patience isn’t something this world promotes. Patience doing its perfect work inside you helps you to understand the importance of submission to God. Feeling stuck in a situation prompts action, but that action isn’t always going to come from you. Wait for God’s instruction, you’ll know what He wants you to do by submitting each day and giving it to Him.
It won’t come naturally to you because it’s just too hard in your own will. Not just you, everyone. We all need instant gratification. Magic diet pill, quick return on investment, fast food … it’s all part of the ways of the world.
What can you do to wait on the Lord?
Pray for His guidance. Take time in your day to ask Him what He wants you to do. Ask Him in Jesus’ name to help you find your path.
Listen to Him. Blocking off quiet time with Him will help you get focused. It takes time to listen for His instruction in a world full of noise.
Read His word. It helps to know the difference between God’s voice and your own. When you read His word you understand His character and begin to trust His promises.
Reflect. Ask yourself what you truly want from God. Look at what He’s done in your life already and really think about the choices you’ve made. Being self aware can get you closer to the truth of what’s at the heart of your situation.
I pray that you have the guidance you seek. In Jesus anything is truly possible!
3 Verses That Help You Get to the Root of the Truth
Your life is filled with choices everyday. Putting your heart into those choices, no matter what they are, takes a certain level of desire. Your heart guides where you put your time. If you peel away at all the different choices you’ve made in one day you may find an interesting desire.
Things you’ve chosen to say, to eat, or to do can reveal something to you about yourself. Most likely you’re just too busy to ever think about the simple things you’ve done the day before, but I encourage you to take a minute right now. Think of the answers to these questions.
What is your desire?
What is the most important thing to you right now?
Is it difficult for you to trust God?
There is no right answer here just a chance to be honest with yourself. Take the time to be real about what choices you make. Dig deep to find the desire behind them.
If you feel ashamed or guilty about choices in your life you are not alone. Reflecting on choices is difficult sometimes… because you just don’t want to hurt about it. Everyone has a story and there is no one without fault.
Everyone needs saving
I encourage you to step out of yourself now and think about God. Is He working in your life? Are you talking to Him? I don’t mean the prayers that you could say half asleep because you’ve said them so many times … I mean really talking to Him. Telling Him your fear, your hurt, or your happiness.
You have the choice to accept that God is real and Jesus is your savior, or not.
That is your power and your freedom. What’s inside of you is extremely special. You were given a gift, regardless of whether you believe or not. It’s there.
There will be a moment in your life when you are faced with a choice that can change your path forever.
It may be subtle or so blatant you can’t ignore it. In that moment it will be your choice to make the next step. Only yours. Your gut will shake to let you know to pay attention. You will know the importance of the moment right away, even if you have no idea why.
What if I don’t understand God’s Word?
You may never ask that question out loud, but it may be a real thought as you go through your life. Maybe you’ve heard about God and see people praying, but don’t really know how to apply it to your life.
The first chapter of John explains so much about the origin of God’s Word. We’ll focus on 3 verses from the gospel of John chapter 1. I’m no expert, I’m a person who is learning along with you. This is not comprehensive by any means. It’s a short version to help with understanding the beginning of God’s Word and what that means.
Scientists and scholars have been trying to narrow the beginning of creation down for thousands of years. Many theories circulate and the science is astounding. There is no reason why science has to be against God. Science and God work together to show the magnificent truth of creation. Believing in God doesn’t mean you can’t appreciate the science also. One of the most amazing creations is the human body alone. The science and biology of the systems working together is absolutely remarkable. It helps to reveal the wonder of God’s design.
The Word of God is Jesus Christ.
He was with God in the beginning, of all creation. His Word was spoken into life and that life is Jesus Christ. God is the creator of everything, from the beginning (Gen 1 and 2).
God is eternal. It’s so hard to actually comprehend because we are not made that way. We are finite. We live and we die. He is always alive, all around us, and has absolute control.
You were made through Jesus Christ and through Him you are saved. That is as simple as it gets. The beginning of life and the truth of your existence. The simplicity is more difficult to grasp than the concept itself. Jesus has been a part of you before you were born. You were formed in the very image of Him. You were blessed and provided an extremely special purpose in Him. He came to this world to save you and now is with the Father in Heaven.
Like I said before, you have the choice to believe it. That is what is written in His Word and I’m sharing with you because your life is important. Understanding God can help you understand yourself.
You are worth it.
3. He is the Light
“In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it” (John 1:4-5).
Jesus is life and light.
Put your hand on your chest and feel yourself breathing. Go outside and feel the sunshine on your face or the rain soak your hair. Hold your child tight. This is life. Jesus is part of all of it. In Him every living thing was created. Without Him none of it exists.
Have you ever lit a candle in the middle of a dark room?
One little tealight candle can bring so much light that you find your way around everything. The light covers the darkness in a way that the darkness cannot overpower it. Darkness has no defense against the light. As soon as that light shines it’s instantly more powerful than the dark. Jesus is the Light who “gives light to every man coming into the world” (John 1:9).
Jesus shines in a darkened world so bright that the world cannot comprehend Him. A world that doesn’t know Him cannot have a defense against His Light. A world that was made through Him did not know Him (John 1:10).
You have a light inside of you.
Your light is ready to shine in the midst of all the darkness you experience. You have a choice to let that light shine or keep it in the dark. Your choice is to believe that Jesus will make your light brighter than the darkness in your room.
Stepping outside your comfort zone and really believing what these verses say may be difficult. Faith isn’t easy. We don’t always get answers to our many questions, at least not the way we expect.
Spending this time reading His Word is a great start to develop a relationship with Him. The more you read,the more you understand. God’s word is living, and can impact you in different moments of your life with just one verse.
When you go into this new year making choices think about where you want your desire to be. You will never go wrong wanting to know more about Jesus. In searching for truth you will find it.
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