Wounded and Humble...

Because I've been thinking through the issue of confrontation lately, last night I thought about some of the things that I have been exhorted in that the Lord has used to completely transform my life. Chris has been reminding me lately that when I am confronted I need to view that person who is calling me to grow as someone who has the Holy Spirit and who God is using to grow me. God's Word convicts us and changes us, but one means that he uses to grow us is through people who are aware of our sin and shortcomings. It helps me to receive exhortation when I see that this person is sacrificing their own comforts to come to me and it's not easy to confront. I don't want to discourage them by responding pridefully.

My relationships with family and friends was completely transformed when God prompted a faithful sister to come to me and humbly exhort me to not choose who I want to love based on whether or not I like someone, but to choose to love everyone who God puts in my life. I went from treating people out of sinful pride that wanted to be served and preferred myself over everyone else, to seeing each person as an opportunity to demonstrate Christ's impartiality and to consider others as more important than myself.

The way that I viewed money and stuff was transformed when God put it in the heart of a faithful brother to exhort Chris and I to give with liberality out of the abundance that God has given us. Chris and I have experienced so much joy through this life lesson even though it was hard to hear initially. We are now free to give more and more of our money away to people in need and to the church because we have a God who wants to provide and wants his children to give freely. We often feel like one of our ministries is simply to work hard so that we have more to give and to let people borrow our stuff whenever it's needed. This is in no way to say that we are uber-godly and have it all figured out, but only to show that we were NOTHING like this before someone confronted us.

Finally, the way that I view service in ministry is completely different because a faithful sister exhorted me to serve hard trusting God that he will not withhold any good thing from me and that he will give me rest and joy even when I serve wholeheartedly. Again, what joy there is in serving the body of Christ without fear! If I had not be specifically exhorted to serve to the point that I'm a little uncomfortable, then I wouldn't have grown in maturity.

It was refreshing for me to think through how life changing biblical exhortation and encouragement has been in my life over the last several years. I really want to be more humble and more receptive when people lovingly point out how I can grow. It's hard because I love my sin and I don't want to be uncomfortable, but there certainly is joy in doing what serves my Savior.