A Condemnation-Free Heart Has Great Faith

Would you like a formula to develop great faith? The kind of faith sees the manifestation of everything you ask for?

The truth is, there is no formula, but there are some necessary ingredients to great faith. #1 key ingredient to developing great faith is to live a life where your heart doesn’t condemn you. #2 is to keep Christ’s commandments. #3 is to ACT on that commandment to love people.

Before you think I’m presenting a legalistic formula that’s based on performance, keep reading, I’m actually talking about what’s going on in your heart and how to develop confidence toward God.

1 John 3:18 Little children, let us love not in word and speech, but in action and truth. 19 And by this we will know that we belong to the truth, and will assure our hearts in His presence: 20 If our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our hearts, and He knows all things. 21 Beloved, IF OUR HEARTS DO NOT CONDEMN US, WE HAVE CONFIDENCE BEFORE GOD, 22 AND WE RECEIVE FROM HIM WHATEVER WE ASK, because we keep His commandments and do what is pleasing in His sight. 23 And this is His commandment: that we should believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and we should love one another just as He commanded us. 24 Whoever keeps His commandments remains in God, and God in him. And by this we know that He remains in us: by the Spirit He has given us.

How do you get your heart to stop condemning you?
You keep His commandments.

Which commandments?
Love God and love people.

How do you love God?
We love Him because he first loved us. Our love for Him is a response.

So the proper way to love God is by responding to His love for you. What does that look like? You acknowledge Him for who He is in all His authority and majesty, AND you walk in love toward people.

That’s the “formula.” Respond to God’s love for you in such a way that your heart stops condemning you and then allow that love to spill onto others from your own heart.

A Heart that Condemns

If you follow John’s logic you’ll see that a heart that’s free from self-condemnation is so receptive to God that is receives whatever it asks. This kind of heart will only ask for things that God wants for you so it will not ask amiss and therefore will always receive what it asks for.

Earlier in his letter, John walks us through the basic concept that God is love, in Him is no darkness, and since we’ve been forgiven and now belong to God, we should also walk in the light, turning our back on sin.

A heart that is allowing God to abide within it and influence it will not choose sin, therefore will not experience self-condemnation.

This is not a reference to salvation, it’s a reference to the person who keeps their heart free from self-condemnation. We already know there’s no condemnation (from God) for those who are in Christ, but there may be condemnation from SELF in the heart of one who is in Christ.

Walking in the light, free from the lure of sin doesn’t cause God to give you what you ask for, it causes your heart to be confident toward God, therefore able to receive what God has actually already given you in Christ. His spirit is in you and that spirit contains everything you’ll ever need; all the wisdom, instruction, provision, blessing, grace and power you’ll ever need in this earth.

The reason to walk in the light rather than in sin and darkness is to keep your heart condemnation free. God isn’t condemning you, you are. To John, the truest way to ensure a condemnation-free heart is to love God (respond to His love) and love people. Loving God, responding to His love for you, and letting that love spill out to others develops great confidence within, such confidence that it ceases to limit God and allows God’s influence to meet every need.

He already knows what you need, when your heart doesn’t condemn you, you will ask for the things He knows you need. You will also be sensitive enough to ask for the things He wants you to desire.

What Does He Want You To Desire?

God wants you to desire His will for you and good things for others. God wants you to desire to see His healing and transformative love restore and rescue others from darkness.

When your heart is condemnation-free, you will allow His love for others to flow through you. Conversely, if you want God’s power to flow through you toward others, begin to intentionally love people. If you want to see your needs met and see the manifestation of “all that you ask of God,” fall in love with people…and ACT ON THAT LOVE. Acting on God inspired love for others teaches your heart to be confident toward Him.

Keeping His Commandments

Keeping Christ’s commandments develops a confidence toward God that causes you to see the manifestation of “all that you ask of God.” That promise is so powerful I can’t stop myself from repeating it. Keeping the rules doesn’t make God happy enough to give you what you’re asking for, that’s not what John is saying. He’s saying this, as you respond to and experience God’s love for you, you will love Him, honor and worship Him, which will cause you to love others, which causes you to live condemnation free, which results in great faith/confidence toward God. AND THEN, this kind of transformed, God soaked heart, naturally and effortlessly desires the things God desires for you.

How to Experience God’s Love

Try this, develop a daily habit of meditating on God’s love for you. Here are a few things to meditate on that have to do with God’s love for you:

• Because your sins have been forgiven through His name.

• Because you know Him who is from the beginning.

• Because you have overcome the evil one.

• Because you know the Father.

• Because you know Him who is from the beginning.

• Because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.

These are from 1 John 2:12-14. Don’t confess these to make them true, confess them because they ARE true! Make sure you meditate on each one until actually feel the associated emotions. I’d love to hear you describe what each of these feel like for you.

There are so many passages to pull from, share your favorite passage or “method” that helps you experience and solidify God’s love for you in your heart.

Your Place in the Body of Christ

This article is the first in a series about developing confidence in the heart to see the manifestation of all that you ask of God. I will continue this series for a few weeks. Next week I will discuss how walking in the graces/gifts of the spirit fit in to developing confidence. Stay tuned! Subscribe below to make sure you get all my emails.

Why Isn't Everyone Healed? The Answer May Offend You.

If Jesus paid for it, it’s yours now. If it’s a promise that is included in Christ’s atoning work, it’s yours now. If it’s a promise that Jesus solidified at the time of his death, burial, resurrection and ascension, it’s yours now, 100% of the time.

For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ. And so through him the "Amen" is spoken by us to the glory of God. 2 Corinthians 1:20

Here are 4 questions we can ask to help us determine if a promise is part of Christ’s atoning work, therefore available all the time…

1. Is the promise consistent with God’s revealed character and attributes?

2. Did Jesus display his will for the promise in his earthly ministry?

3. Is it evidenced in the definition of salvation?

4. Is it scriptural?

Is Healing Always God’s Will?

God’s promises that are available in Christ are various and plentiful, touching on just about every aspect of life. He makes promises for salvation, provision, guidance, peace, health, and much more, I am going to use the example of health and healing in this article. The availability and application of the promises in Christ are universal. As I discuss health and healing, think about which promise relates to you and your current situation.

All believers believe that God can heal. All Jesus followers agree that Jesus healed people. But we disagree on whether God always wants everyone fully healed.

Have you prayed for multiple people and seen some healed but others not, why does that happen? There are only two stories in the New Testament that address the “why.”

When Jesus Could Not Heal People

There was a time when Jesus went to his hometown and he could not heal people like he did in other towns. Some theologians say he refused to heal people due to their lack of honor, but he did heal some people , so that theory falls flat. The truth is more offensive. Let’s look at this story in Mark and Matthew.

Mark 6:1 Jesus went on from there and came to His hometown, accompanied by His disciples. 2 When the Sabbath came, He began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard Him were astonished. “Where did this man get these ideas?” they asked. “What is this wisdom He has been given? And how can He perform such miracles? 3 Isn’t this the carpenter, the son of Mary and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon? Aren’t His sisters here with us as well?” And they took offense at Him. 4 Then Jesus told them, “A prophet is without honor only in his hometown, among his relatives, and in his own household.” 5 So He could not perform any miracles there, except to lay His hands on a few of the sick and heal them. 6 And He was amazed at their unbelief. And He went around from village to village, teaching the people.

Now the same story from Matthew’s perspective…

Matthew 13:54 Coming to His hometown, He taught the people in their synagogue, and they were astonished. “Where did this man get such wisdom and miraculous powers?” they asked. 55 “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t His mother’s name Mary, and aren’t His brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas? 56 Aren’t all His sisters with us as well? Where then did this man get all these things?” 57 And they took offense at Him. But Jesus said to them, “Only in his hometown and in his own household is a prophet without honor.” 58 And He did not do many miracles there, because of their unbelief.

Because they were familiar with Jesus, their carnal thinking led them to be offended at Jesus and limit his power in their lives. Carnal thinking isn’t necessarily sinful or evil thinking, it’s just limited thinking. Carnal thinking only looks at what it can observe physically. Carnal thinking is only open to what logically makes sense to the physical mind. They limited the power of Jesus by limiting his identity in their hearts and minds. The healing power Jesus normally displayed was limited in the lives of the people that did not accept him for who he was.

Because they didn’t accept him for who he was, (God in human form, a prophet of God) they were not able to receive healing from him. Their carnal thinking led to offense, which led to unbelief, which limited his power.

Unbelief in the heart of a human can limit God’s power.

God is certainly more powerful than anyone or anything, but he chose to give mankind dominion over the earth and sovereignty over their own lives, therefore limiting himself to our faith. We have the responsibility to believe and trust God. When we don’t, we will not allow his power to work in and through us.

To sum up this story, it is possible for God to want to do something for and through you but you don’t allow it because of your unbelief. Your unbelief is not stronger than God, he just created you in a way where you must come into agreement with him and allow him to work in and through you. God will not violate your will and the beliefs of your heart.

When the Disciples Could Not Heal People

Have you ever asked, “why didn’t they get healed after prayer?” or “why did one person get healed but the other person didn’t?” Let’s look at the second place in scripture where those very questions are answered…by Jesus.

Matthew 17:14 When they came to the crowd, a man came up to Jesus and knelt before Him. 15 “Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizures and is suffering terribly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. 16 I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not heal him.” 17 “O unbelieving and perverse generation!” Jesus replied. “How long must I remain with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy here to Me.” 18 Then Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed from that moment. 19 Afterward the disciples came to Jesus privately and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” 20 “Because you have so little faith,” He answered. “For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

Now from Mark’s perspective…

Mark 9:17 Someone in the crowd replied, “Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a spirit that makes him mute. 18 Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. I asked Your disciples to drive it out, but they were unable.” SKIP TO VERSE 28 After Jesus had gone into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” 29 Jesus answered, “This kind cannot come out, except by prayer.”

Side note, most original manuscripts leave out “and fasting.” But that’s beside the point of this article.

Let me sum up this story. A man had a son who had seizures, he took his son to Jesus’ disciples but they couldn’t heal him. When the disciples asked Jesus why they couldn’t heal the boy, he told them it was because of their unbelief. That’s the end of the story, they couldn’t heal the boy because they had little faith.

WOW!! Are you offended yet?

Unbelief Limits the Power of God

When the folks in Jesus’ hometown could not receive healing from him he said it was because of their unbelief. When the disciples could not heal a believing boy, Jesus said it was because of the disciples unbelief.

We should be able to just stop there and take Jesus at his word, but we don’t. We feel the need to add more to his explanation. We add more because it’s hard to accept that we aren’t healed because of our unbelief. It may be even harder to accept that someone you love that died couldn’t receive healing from Jesus because of their unbelief. But that’s exactly the answer that Jesus gives.

He does go on to say that “this kind” comes out by prayer (and fasting). But “this kind” of what? Some folks say he’s talking about “this kind” of demon. But the context is unbelief, not demons. What he’s saying is this, the kind of unbelief that limits healing only comes out through prayer (and fasting).

You don’t gain power over higher classes of demons because you fast, that’s charismatic mumbo jumbo, that’s just made up. When you fast and pray, you might walk in more confidence, which looks like more power, but that’s a deception. Jesus stripped all entities of authority and he shares his authority with you, you don’t need to fast for more power, but you might need to pray and fast to become more confidence. God doesn’t give you more faith for praying, your heart just becomes more confident in him when you take time to persuade your heart of his identity.

Do You Need More Faith?

When you tell someone they aren’t healed because of their little faith, or their loved one wasn’t healed because of their little faith, you’re probably going to offend them, even though it’s true.

Let me clarify, the difference between great faith and little faith is confidence in Jesus. Faith is not a commodity, it’s not a thing you can get more of, it’s a depth of confidence in the heart of the receiver. Some folks are just more convinced of the healing power of Jesus than others.

I’ve told people this and they responded by telling me how much their loved one prayed, how spiritual they were, how much they went to church and how godly of a person they were. I’m sorry to say none of those things determine the depth of confidence in their heart toward God.

If you want great faith, become more convinced that God is who he says he is. God is not withholding healing from some folks and freely giving it to others. God doesn’t regulate what Jesus paid for to timing. You’ve heard it said that “it may not be God’s timing yet” as an explanation for why someone isn’t healed. The truth is this, if Jesus paid for it, it’s yours now. Healing is a promise Jesus paid for in his exchange on the cross.

We must allow ourselves to let the Word of God speak for itself without adding to it or becoming offended by it.

Conclusion

Consider these points…

1. God defines himself as a healer (Jehovah Rophe).

2. In the beginning, God placed mankind in a perfect garden with perfect health.

3. God will restore all things and place us in an eternal place of perfection with no sickness or disease.

4. Jesus came to earth between Eden and Heaven and healed people.

5. Jesus was the exact representation of the invisible God.

Healing is what God wants for you, it’s clear through his sovereign acts of creation, eternity and his time as a human.

The reason we are not walking in health and healing has alot to do with the fallen world but Jesus very clearly tells us that we are not healed, and are not healing other people, because of our unbelief.

Yes, I do realize how offensive that is. I do realize that seems black and white, but if you’ll go back and read this article again, you’ll not find my opinions, you’ll find my commentary on the words and explanations of Jesus on the subject of healing and when it doesn’t happen.

That leaves us with this, we need to pray in such a way that builds faith. Our prayer life should remove doubt and unbelief from our hearts. When we believe and doubt not, all things are possible, especially if Jesus paid for it on the cross.

Here’s an example prayer that can remove doubt and build trust toward God…

Father, I thank you that you love me. I acknowledge that you are a healer. You showed me through the life of Jesus that you are willing to heal those who believe. I am willing to believe you. I believe you want me healed. I yield my heart to you. I may not understand why I’m not healed, but it doesn’t matter, because I believe you are a healer. I believe Jesus paid for my spiritual, emotional AND physical healing, my healing is in the spilled blood of Jesus and the stripes on his back. Father, I trust you, I thank you that your spirit is in me, bringing life to my physical body. No matter what I feel or see in my body, I believe you want me healed and your spirit is helping my body become whole and healed. Thank you for loving me, I trust you…I pray this in the power and authority of Jesus.

Pray from Christ's Finished Work

Prayer changes things. Prayer changes you and your world around you, but it doesn’t change God. Prayer doesn’t cause God to respond and give you what you want or need, he’s already done that. God doesn’t have anything else to give to you. The only thing God has left to give you is wisdom, revelation and guidance on how to live within everything he’s already given you. That’s why he gave you his spirit, so you would understand what he’s already given you.

1 Corinthians 2:12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.

What things has he freely given you?

2 Peter 1:2 Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. 3 His divine power has given us EVERYTHING WE NEED FOR A GODLY LIFE through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

He HAS GIVEN you everything you need for a godly life. Are you experiencing everything you need to live a godly life? Probably not. Does that mean he hasn’t given you some of the things you need to live a godly life? No. It just means you aren’t personally connecting to or experiencing some of the things God has already given you.

So you should pray for wisdom and revelation, so that God’s spirit within you will help you understand what he’s already given you so that you can experience those things in this life.

Prayer Insights from King David

In seeking to know how to pray from our new creation identity, considering God’s promises, and from the finished work of Christ, we can learn from David’s prayer in Psalm 103. David knew how to pray because he knew God’s character, he prayed out of a heart that was focused on who God is rather than just out of his need.

1 Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. 2 Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—3 who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, 4 who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, 5 who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

Praying from his soul

David started his prayer by praising God from his soul. Most of us pray from our mind rather than our soul. We want to know “why,” we want to understand, so we pray from our mind. We say, “God, I don’t understand but I’ll praise you anyway.” That fine and noble but it’s not praying from your soul. Your soul isn’t concerned with understanding, your soul wants to feel the prayer.

To pray/praise from your inmost being, your soul, is to feel the associated emotions of your prayer rather than just saying the words. Praise/prayer must engage your heart and your emotions, you must feel that what your praying is true or possible. You don’t really believe what you’re praying is possible unless it feels possible, otherwise it’s just an idea or information.

As part of the believing process, it’s important to feel that God’s promises are possible because your feelings make an impression in your heart, which is where you truly believe. All things are possible for those who believe.

Focusing on benefits

David turns his attention to all the good things God has given him, he cultivates thankfulness, he counts his blessings and he reminds himself that God gives good gifts.

Forgiveness and healing

David acknowledges that God forgives sins and heals diseases and redeems, all out of his loving kindness. David gets it, he gets that God is good, he knows his character and prays in such a way that basically just acknowledges who God is rather than what he needs. He trusts that God will be who he is for him.

Satisfies Desires

Here’s a big one, David acknowledges that God satisfies his desires with good things. God satisfies David’s desires? Traditional Christianity says you’re evil and there’s no good thing in you, why in the world would God satisfy David’s desires with good things? Isn’t David evil, incapable of godly desires? Apparently David didn’t believe so. He held a view of God that believes God will satisfy his desires. How would it change your prayer life if you were free enough to trust your desires because they’re godly?

New Covenant Fulfillments

David actually gave us a pretty good model of prayer. Check out these New Covenant fulfillments of the things that David prayed even under the Old Covenant. These are things to remember about yourself and others as you pray.

Ephesians 4:32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

When you’re praying for yourself or others, remember that you/they’re already forgiven. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t repent, it just means you’re not in a state of unforgiveness before God, he’s not holding your sin against you. Repentance for the believer means to change your mind, change how you’re thinking about your sin or current situation and begin to think like God thinks about it.

1 Peter 2:24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.

One of the benefits of Christ’s atoning work on the cross is physical healing. There is a segment of folks who say that Peter is talking about spiritual healing, meaning salvation, but I disagree. The healing Jesus performed was physical. David acknowledged that God heals us from our diseases, he didn’t say God heals us from our spiritual darkness. In addition to forgiveness of sin and being made righteous, Jesus paid for physical healing.

Colossians 1:13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

The enemy has no power over you. Sin doesn’t give authority or rights to demons to attack or harass you. Jesus has all authority in Heaven and Earth and he’s shared it with his followers. Pray with authority when encountering demonic oppression in your life or others.

2 Peter 1:2 Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. 3 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

Here we see our desires mentioned again. Christ can deliver you from your evil desires and transform you to have godly desires. He’s already transformed your spirit man, now allow him to shape your soulish man.

Again we see that through our knowledge of Jesus, we have everything we need in this life to live godly. Included with that knowledge are promises to help you experience God’s nature. This is an identity statement, you have been made one with God and can live in this life like Jesus did. He’s made us so many promises associated with our new creation identity that it causes us to live like Christ in this earth, experiencing all his benefits, just as David prayed.

Have This Mindset When You Pray

When we seek to pray for ourselves or others, we need to be aware of who God is, what he wants and how he thinks. This passage gives us insight into God’s mind. The Apostle Paul is addressing their concerns about people who have died in Christ and what the future holds. He ends with a very interesting idea that gives us great insight into the character of God and how we should pray.

1 CORINTHIANS 15:20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. 24 Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

“The last enemy to be destroyed is death.” This is not difficult to catch but DEATH IS GOD’S ENEMY. Often we try to reason with death, well meaning Christians try to make us feel better by saying God is somehow using death. Uninformed believers are quick to associate death, in its various manifestations, with God’s will and teaching modalities.

Death is God’s enemy! In every shape, form and fashion, death is God’s enemy. God does not want death or anything that causes it, in your life. Jesus died to break the power of death over humans. He paid the price for sin so its effects would be rendered powerless over humans.

Am I saying God never wants you to be sick, in lack, depressed or experience death. Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying. But he gave the planet to us for a period of time so, for the most part, God isn’t getting what he wants right now.

As you pray over your life and for others, remember that death is God’s enemy. You don’t have to try to understand death and lack related circumstances or somehow make room for them in your prayer life because God’s doesn’t want them in your life. There’s more to say on this idea, but I’ll end this idea with this, DEATH IS GOD’S ENEMY!

Do This When You Pray

• Ask yourself, did Jesus do anything about this?

• Ask yourself, is Jesus in me and am I in him?

• Then speak what he did and expect to see the desires of your heart

EXPECT TO EXPERIENCE THE FRUIT OF WHAT JESUS PAID FOR AND ACCOMPLISHED!!

Which Eyes Are You Using?

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““I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened...””

— The Apostle Paul (Ephesians 1:18)

You have two sets of eyes, the ones in your head and the ones in your heart. The eyes in your head see the outer world while the eyes of your heart can see God. However, the eyes of your heart can also focus on your outer world, which is not a good thing.

The obvious goal is to keep the eyes of your heart focused on God, who lives in you and is not separate from you. This is walking by faith, this is how you look not at the seen but at the unseen, this is how you set your heart on things above, this is how you have great faith, and this is how you stay in perfect peace.

You have a part to play in what your heart is looking at. You can choose to inwardly be aware of God’s presence, his influence, his promises, and his truth, or you let your heart be overwhelmed by the world. Your new heart can’t be corrupted but it can be deceived. Meaning, in your inner man, the place you believe, you can believe lies. The way you become persuaded and influenced by lies is when the eyes of your heart are looking to the world for understanding rather than to God.

It takes humility and faith to not look at what you see and turn to God for a proper perspective. Having God’s perspective and opinion on a matter is vital for success and transformation. It takes humility because you have to lay aside your emotions and opinions to receive God’s perspective and faith because you have to trust God in the midst of the issue.

Great faith is when you can make God bigger within you than the situation is outside of you. The mystery of the kingdom is that as you behold God within you, the external world starts to align with God’s truth. The kingdom is in you to grow out of you, as you keep your inner man focused on him.

What Are You Looking At?

The basis for your heart’s gaze is your hope in Heaven. Scripture teaches us that we have a hope in Heaven, and the message of that hope is the Gospel. We’re also told that that message, that Gospel, that hope that is in Heaven is bearing fruit in the whole world.

How is our hope in Heaven bearing fruit in the world? Through the hearts of humans. The Gospel is not an abstract substance that filters into the world from God, it’s a message about a greater reality. That message is conveyed to humans, deep within our being, in our hearts. Heaven’s message, when received by a heart focused on God, will bear fruit first in itself (the human heart), then in the world around it.

It is vital for Jesus followers to allow God’s message of our hope in Heaven to bear fruit in our lives so we can distribute it to the world around us. Heaven’s fruit in you begins with righteousness, peace, and joy. Your heart’s eyes must be focused on God to allow time for that fruit to grow. We are quick to turn away and look at the condition of our lives and the world if we look away too long that fruit may wither and have to start all over again.

It doesn’t mean you’re a bad person or you’ve lost your salvation, it just means you’ve looked away from God too long.

I realize this message is convicting but some of us need that conviction. Not condemnation but a reminder of our role in discipleship. Your role is to trust God, to keep your inner eyes on him so that when he leads you, you will be familiar with what he looks like and will follow.

Try This

Try this meditative exercise. Sit quietly and think about God, whatever comes up is fine. Focus your attention on him until your awareness of him is “bigger” than anything else. Think about him until he’s the most prominent thought in your mind. Then let your thoughts shift toward that issue you’re dealing, whether it be your spouse, your job, your kids, your finances, your health, and see if you can allow God to stay “bigger” than all of those things. Acknowledge him in each and every issue, acknowledge that he has wisdom and revelation for you. Notice the smallest, most subtle idea that arises. Make not of it, make sure it’s consistent with scripture, then act on it. You hear and see God better than you think, try it and watch him lead your paths.