Tue. Nov 5th, 2024

Deal With the Foxes in Your Life

Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom. —Song of Solomon 2:15

When these things are present in my life, I have discovered that God’s special presence is absent:

* Self-pity. Feeling sorry for myself always seems right at first, but I should never give in to it if I cherish the presence of the Dove.

* Self-righteousness. This is the identical twin of self-pity. I reflect on my obedience and imagine that God is giving me a little pat on the back.

* Defensiveness. This is not merely being “touchy”; it is the natural instinct to resist any criticisms. It is the opposite of turning the other cheek (Matt. 5:39).

* Seeking a compliment. “Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; someone else, and not your own lips” (Prov. 27:2).

* Listening to gossip.  I am not sure which is worse—telling another “the latest” or listening to it. It is hard not to listen, especially if it is delicious, bad news about someone I find threatening.

* Talking too much. “When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise” (Prov. 10:19). John Wesley often said that for every hour we spend talking, we should spend two hours in prayer!

* Rushing. Getting in a hurry almost always moves me ahead of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is not in a hurry.

* Pointing the finger. “Do not judge, or you too will be judged” (Matt. 7:1). Pointing the finger in judgment invariably includes keeping a record of wrongs—which the Bible advises us not to do (1 Cor. 13:5). Doing so will result in the departure of the Spirit’s special presence.

When I come to terms honestly with the absence of God’s special presence, I am more likely to be in a  position to find Him.

Excerpted from The Sensitivity of the Spirit (Charisma House, 2002).

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