What am I showing those around me?  Is it peace, assurance, surety, dependence, faith and trust in the promises of God?  How then do I expect them to see their way to relationship with the Almighty if I do not demonstrate those qualities indicative of the Holy Spirit’s Presence?  Have I listened to the words, allowed them to roll around for years inside my head and then never applied them to the life for which they promise victory?  What a shame it is to be that close to warmth and continue to be cold.

Does this world need a little more chaos?  Perhaps could it use a bit of my own greed, because it is in short supply of avarice?  Maybe it would become a better place with the advent of my own hate for mankind.  I get it, I will share my doubt and lack of faith, that will pick people up.  And forgiveness, love, kindness, patience and justice, there is no benefit in these, so I should keep them to myself.  I do not like sarcasm, but is there any other way to categorize how we as Christians have avoided, ignored, disobeyed and generally misunderstood God’s Plan and intention for our behavior?  What we have exhibited are the worldly shadows of the people we are inside.  God help us because this behavior demonstrates “NO EVIDENCE” of the presence of the Holy Spirit of God.

For whom am I living this life?  I will answer that clearly, my own glory, comfort and satisfaction.  Am I encouraging those around me to better themselves by surrendering to God’s Will for their lives or am I modeling a worldly mold into which they may conform themselves to find “sensory satisfaction”.  God help me I must admit my sin and poor service.  I will not condemn myself as a saint of God, but neither can I turn my eye from my extreme need of daily repentance and God’s fulfilling Grace.  If not for God’s Grace I certainly would have no hope except the eventuality of damnation.  Praise the Lord He provided a route to salvation through His own sacrifice.

Self Control, that is the one aspect of God that is rarely mentioned in today’s culture.  Do it til your satisfied, just do it, do what you want to do and any other unbridled pursuit of passion, no matter how perverted, is the direction of the day.  To restrain anyone’s behavior, even my own is an assault upon freedom, liberty and the American ideal of self determination.  That is just plain incorrect and morally absurd, never mind that it is in direct conflict with God’s Divine Ethical Revelation.  I do not belong to me, but I died on Calvary’s cross two thousand years ago with Christ.  My life now is His and any aspirations or attempts to live it out under my own carefully/poorly designed strategy is forfeit.  That man, that worldly man that I was is no longer, for I am a new creation in God through Christ.  How long will it take that to soak into this near impervious skull and to change the pursuits of this fickle heart?  I hope not a moment longer.