“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life."
Psalm 139:23-24 (NLT) The first step to a clear conscience is to do a personal spiritual assessment. Here’s how you do it. When you’re not in a hurry, sit down with God in a quiet place and tell God, “I want to do business with you. I want to make a list of anything that is getting between you and me. Help me see the things I know are wrong, and the things I don’t know are wrong.” Ask God to reveal your sins. You can pray like the psalmist: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life” (Psalm 139:23-24 NLT). When you pray this, you’re asking God to find the things in you that have entangled you and are holding you back. It’s important to take your time. Don’t rush it! Don’t say, “God, I’ve got five minutes for you to reveal every sin I’ve ever done.” Take your time—and be sure to write it all down. Why is it important to write it down? Writing makes it specific. Thoughts untangle themselves through the lips and the fingertips—through what you say and what you write. If you haven’t written it down, you haven’t thoroughly thought about it. Here's a very important question: How serious are you about wanting God’s blessing on your life? Enough that you’re willing to be gut-level honest with him? Are you willing to be honest with yourself? Are you willing to be honest with other people? Or are you just going to live in denial? Denial and God’s blessing do not go hand-in-hand. If you long to have a clear conscience, then you’re just one step away from liberation—from a feeling of joy like you’ve never experienced. Along the way, you’ll find freedom from the habits, hurts, and hang-ups that are messing up your life. Please don’t procrastinate. Reserve time this week to complete your personal spiritual assessment. It’s the first step to enjoying a clear conscience, and it will change your life!
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“I cry aloud to God, aloud to God, and he will hear me” (Psalm 77:1 ESV).
Have you ever dropped a soda bottle and then opened it right after? What usually happens? It makes a mess! The worst possible response to hidden wounds in your life is to clam up. It’s like shaking a soda bottle. One day, you’ll just explode! Bottling up your hidden wounds will wear you out. The Bible says, “When I kept things to myself, I felt weak deep inside me. I moaned all day long” (Psalm 32:3 NCV). You’ll never get over your hidden wounds until you face your feelings head-on by admitting them to God, yourself, and another person. Many people try to move past their pain by admitting it to God and themselves, but then they skip the third part of the equation. It will never work. Admitting your pain to others is absolutely essential to your healing. Getting better depends on it: “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed” (James 5:16a NIV). You don’t have to confess to a preacher, an elder, or a therapist to obey James 5:16 (although you can). You just need a friend you can trust. If you use all your emotional energy trying to cover up the past, you’ll have little left for today. Open up about your hidden pain to someone. Tell that person what hurts. By confessing your hidden pain to God, yourself, and another person, you’ll likely find the energy you’ve been living without for so long. Revealing your feeling is the beginning of healing. |
AuthorTaken from Daily Hope by Rick Warren. Categories
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