1 Corinthians 9:27 IBS

Friday September 26^th, 2014

1 Corinthians 9:27 “But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.”

            We are all on the same level, the same battleground, no one person is higher than the other. I had a problem with this before coming here. And of course it’s a constant fight with that because of my flesh and the “I” factor, but before it was really bad. With my family situation, I really clung to the Lord to get me through and with that I became “big-headed” with my “so-called” faith. I say “so-called”, simply because it was there, but not fully because I still wasn’t in the Word every day and seeking His face. My family kind of took the other route and stopped going to church and their hearts became hardened. From time to time, whenever my sister would be in the wrong, I would call her out on it and in a way be a fire preacher and say things like, “you really need to go back to church” or “check your heart”. Every time I think of that, it breaks my heart that I would act that way! And that really has to do with Matthew 7:3-5, “And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” It’s a matter of first checking my own heart. I love my family and I want to see them turn back to the Lord in brokenness, but I can’t make them do anything. I have to let God work in my life and daily break me; “God will work in the other more through your brokenness than through anything else you can do or say.” (Quote from Chapter Six of Calvary Road)

            Application: I am supposed to be humble, to be low, and to put others before myself. Jesus, others, then me last. All I can do is serve God, serve my family, allow God to break me, and pray. So during my 6 days home, I will be sure to serve my family in as many ways as possible and really pray that they will see Jesus and not me, so that they will have that desire to be broken as well.