"Have you 'renounced the hidden things of dishonesty' - the things that your sense of honour will not all to come to the light? You can easily hide them. Is there a thought in your heart about anyone which you would not like to bring into the light? Renounce it as soon as it springs up; renounce the whole thing until there is no hidden thing or craftiness about you. Envy, jealousy, strife - these things arise not necessarily from the disposition of sin, but from the make-up of your body which was used for this kind of thing in days gone by (see Romans 6:19 and 1 Peter 4:1-2). Maintain a continued watchfulness so that nothing of which you would be ashamed arises in your life."
Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest
(Comments: There are many, many things that are hidden in my own heart. It is not that they do not spring up, it is that I do not renounce them as soon as they do come up. That is where I, at least, get into trouble, by allowing them to remain in my consciousness instead of immediately ushering them out the door.)
Take every thought captive.....
ReplyDeleteOswald Chambers, battering serious Christians about the head and shoulders for over 100 years. He's been hammering at me for over 40 now. Good man, trusted companion, encourager.
He is, STxAR. I do sort of wish I had his work in his original English, not in the "updated for modern readers" version. Although still powerful, there is something about an author's thoughts in their own words.
DeleteSelf deception is often the root of many ills. Someone that can lie to himself cannot tell the truth about many things.
ReplyDeleteJames chapter 1 speaks to this, worth reading the whole chapter.
Verse 8 A doubleminded man is unstable in all his ways.
Illusions. We are full of them - as John MacArthur noted, we become disillusioned because we were first under illusion.
DeleteThe worst self-deception at least in my own life is "How Big is Your God". For too long I thought Him a handy thing on my necklace or maybe a good church. Useful talisman when things get crazy them put away until next time.
ReplyDeleteBut I learned eventually (slow I am) a hint of just how BIG HE really is.
https://www.bing.com/videos/riverview/relatedvideo?q=song+lord+of+heaven+and+earth&mid=D7B984E7725FC986987DD7B984E7725FC986987D
Worth the listen.
I know this song, Michael! It remains one of my favorites.
DeleteA book I read some years ago was entitled "Your God is Too Small", and made the point that modern conception of God as practiced in a great deal of the church (circa mid-2000's) was a limited God.
The hidden things of dishonesty... The weeds of life... The gophers of the garden of the soul... We all have them. Let them go too long, and they'll choke and ravage your life...
ReplyDeleteJesus told us we need to forgive "seventy timed seven." We need also to renounce sin "seventy times seven." Entertaining even small sins opens the door to evil as much so as using a oiga board or attending a seance.
Pete, Christ warned us to be ever vigilant of such things. To be honest, I am much more sloppy about it than I should be.
DeleteSo this morning, I had a thought that was unwholesome, completely unworthy of a Christ follower. I thought it was good when (I thought) I "put it in its proper place" - which seemed to be a place in my mind that was only slightly removed from front and center, tucked into a folder of things not to think. Thank you, TB, for the reminder/encouragement to actually show these kinds of thoughts the door. Reject them outright. Not the easiest, nor natural thing to do, but it probably gets easier with practice. I need to practice it more. I know my heart is happier, and my mind clearer when I do renounce those thoughts I'd like to never actually "bring into the light".
ReplyDeleteYou are welcome Becki - although I have to confess that I am pretty not good at this myself. Rather awful, in fact.
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