This specific season the Lord is teaching me greatly a thing I have allowed to creep into my walk and shift my focus off of Him a bit. I am learning that I have found myself putting way too much focus and emphasis on man failing and not on Him delivering. I have put too much confidence in the flesh of myself and others!
I know allowing myself to do that has robbed me immensely of my joy in Christ at times in this season, and my purpose, and who I am in Him alone, and I can see it happening all around me too. I am seeing friends, loved ones and just random people in general holding on to hurt and allowing bitterness and resentment to set in when someone lets them down. When a friendship feels like it has turned out to be a sham. When a family member disappoints us. When relationships fall short. When that boss doesn't follow through on their promises. When our spouse says something unkind. When our children do not obey. When we feel like we could not live up to others expectations. When we fall short because we had put too much expectations on ourselves. When neighborhood or groups of people in an sinful act of rebellion destroy the very places we found ourselves just weeks earlier breaking bread in and working along side of these people in and going to school with them in...and moreover...when Godly people we have trusted, looked up to and admired so greatly do ungodly things. We just find ourselves loosing confidence and trust in others, and probably find ourselves asking who can I put confidence in?
Who can I even trust anymore?
One of my favorite books in the Bible is Philippians. I just love Paul and his teachings and letters, and especially love what he had to say to the church at Philipi. When Paul was writing a letter to the Philippians he had this to say:
No Confidence in the Flesh
"Further, my brothers and sisters, REJOICE in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you. Watch out for those dogs, those evildoers, those mutilators of the flesh. For it is we who are the circumcision, we who serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus,and who put NO confidence in the flesh— though I myself have reasons for such confidence.
If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal,persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless.
But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.
Not that I have already obtained all this, nor have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."
Truth is...people will fail us, and we, believe it or not, will fail people.
Of course we can still be upset when others sin against us. Of course we can have righteous anger or be disappointed when our children disobey. We are human. Those are natural feelings to uncomfortable, hurtful and unnatural situations. The problem comes when we place TOO much focus on what man did instead of just rejoicing in who God is. We have then allowed ourselves to put too much confidence in the flesh! The flesh of man, and the flesh of ourselves will unfortunately always fail.
So who can we truly put confidence in if flesh ALWAYS fails? Who can we earnestly and always trust?
Christ.
He is the "author and perfecter of our faiths. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."
Love even more how Paul goes on to say a little further down in the letter to the church in Philippi that we should follow his example and the example of others who strive to live godly lives! Love that he adds that in there! Yes and Amen! We can and should follow the examples of other righteous godly men and women, peeps. Thankful and praise the Lord for those beautiful people!! We should look up to them and model their godly behavior, but we should never put our confidence in them. Never put it in the flesh.
Never put it in me or I in you.
Always put it in Christ. <3
Stay Joyful,
Corey
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