JMD Daily Devotional 149 Proverbs 25:26-28 Mixed Signals
Like a muddied fountain and a polluted spring is a righteous man who yields, falls down, and compromises his integrity before the wicked. It is not good to eat much honey; so for men to seek glory, their own glory, causes suffering and is not glory. He who has no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down and without walls.
I know it is not like this for everyone; but for me the Christian life is very lonely. I do not get much uplifting social activity, so in the rare instance when coworkers invite me out I do not know how to act. I try to blend in, say something witty; but inevitably, the adolescent desire to be popular and impress my lost friends leads me to make off-color remarks, to behave poorly, to operate from a worldly perspective indistinguishable from an indigenous 'Canaanite.' God's program for redeemed souls, that each of us must fully embrace, is primarily one to cultivate righteousness. The world will accept a false love, an empty peace, a drug-induced joy, and feigned faithfulness but they will have no part of genuine righteousness. It does not mix well. Then again, I could just be socially inept, depending upon how you look at it. None of the Christians I know seem to socialize for its own sake, just for fellowship. This makes me sometimes long for my old life.
Dear God,
I long to be consistently and uncompromisingly righteous because that is a part of my inheritance in Christ Jesus. It is a family trait; a part of my resemblance to You. But my old life of dysfunction and corruption is the ground I'm familiar with (at least I had friends). How can I be a witness when I feel like I do not belong around anyone, in any context? I just do not fit in. Where is MY place to hang out? Why do I have such a hard time just BEING? Everything is WORK to me; love and friendship should not be such a labor. Please tune me up so I resonate in harmony with my new life in Christ and broadcast a clear and true signal, and bring wholesome connection and authenticity to my relationships. Show me I belong! (Forgive me for being too honest).
Amen
All (but*) quotes are from The Amplified Bible, published by
the Lockman Foundation. (AMP)
Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation
*New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society
**Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. (Eugene Peterson's easy-to-read, contemporary Scripture translation)
If you know of someone who would like to subscribe to
my daily devotional, please forward.
jamesdinsmore_32907@yahoo.com
Short, concise, thought-provoking.
More features:
http://SaintJamesPoetry.blogspot.com
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http://jamesezadventures.blogspot.com/
I know it is not like this for everyone; but for me the Christian life is very lonely. I do not get much uplifting social activity, so in the rare instance when coworkers invite me out I do not know how to act. I try to blend in, say something witty; but inevitably, the adolescent desire to be popular and impress my lost friends leads me to make off-color remarks, to behave poorly, to operate from a worldly perspective indistinguishable from an indigenous 'Canaanite.' God's program for redeemed souls, that each of us must fully embrace, is primarily one to cultivate righteousness. The world will accept a false love, an empty peace, a drug-induced joy, and feigned faithfulness but they will have no part of genuine righteousness. It does not mix well. Then again, I could just be socially inept, depending upon how you look at it. None of the Christians I know seem to socialize for its own sake, just for fellowship. This makes me sometimes long for my old life.
Dear God,
I long to be consistently and uncompromisingly righteous because that is a part of my inheritance in Christ Jesus. It is a family trait; a part of my resemblance to You. But my old life of dysfunction and corruption is the ground I'm familiar with (at least I had friends). How can I be a witness when I feel like I do not belong around anyone, in any context? I just do not fit in. Where is MY place to hang out? Why do I have such a hard time just BEING? Everything is WORK to me; love and friendship should not be such a labor. Please tune me up so I resonate in harmony with my new life in Christ and broadcast a clear and true signal, and bring wholesome connection and authenticity to my relationships. Show me I belong! (Forgive me for being too honest).
Amen
All (but*) quotes are from The Amplified Bible, published by
the Lockman Foundation. (AMP)
Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation
*New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society
**Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. (Eugene Peterson's easy-to-read, contemporary Scripture translation)
If you know of someone who would like to subscribe to
my daily devotional, please forward.
jamesdinsmore_32907@yahoo.com
Short, concise, thought-provoking.
More features:
http://SaintJamesPoetry.blogspot.com
http://recoverydevotional.blogspot.com/
http://jamesezadventures.blogspot.com/
posted by James M. Dinsmore at 7:14 PM
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