Good morning everyone,

2 Corinthians 10:18-For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.

Personally the older I get the more I believe that true courage has much more to do with what you confront in your heart first, rather than trying to show other people how brave and courageous you are by doing “things”. As a little boy I grew up with all kind of “dares” as to how crazy we can be, all in the name of proving to people how “brave” we were. However I don’t think the principle for both men and women changes too much now that I have grown up. Even as a Christian I know much of my self-examination starts with measuring my own heart in motives before God, and asking the familiar question why am I doing what I am doing?

I believe you can live a “Christian-like” life and it be all in the name of approving yourself to yourself and others opinions you care about. This is why when God calls us to people, places, or do tasks that we “naturally” have no desire to do we don’t do it. Because we find ourselves not approving of it so why do it? The tricky thing is that the things we approve for ourselves are usually good and noble things in themselves. However if we are doing this “noble” thing because we approve of it and the Lord doesn’t, we are in sin and idolatrous!

To approve ourselves in anything without a “brave introspection” to confront ourselves and get out of denial is living proof that we are worshipping ourselves and not Christ. I believe it is possible to stay away from any “quiet time” because you know in your own soul that you are living for what you approve of and not what the Lord approves. Spirit led joy and peace can only come when we are courageous enough to confront our own motives for the sake of true worship. To not do so is to make ourselves the judge of our actions and motives and really be no different than any unbeliever. The only difference might be that Christians do “good things”, but neither “believer” nor unbeliever truly worship Christ as Lord if He is not sought o lead us and be the final authority of our lives!

In His Love, Ld