Day 19 ~ Poor in Spirit

Remove the barriers of Pride and Shame...
Both of these emotions take our eyes off of Christ and lead us to an unhealthy preoccupation with self.

PRIDE: says, "I want people to think I have my life together." Pride makes us feel foolish about bowing before a God we cannot see. Pride makes us feel embarrassed about crying to God for help, because it says we should be able to come up with a solution ourselves. Pride says that even though we don't like our mess and it's too big to clean up, we don't want other people to know about it because they may think less of us.

SHAME: says, "I am damaged goods. I am too dirty to have a relationship with God. Why would He want me?" Shame is the pervasive sense that we are defective, inadequate, and worthless.  Shame pushes people to hide their true selves.  Sometimes we feel shame because of sin that others have done to us. They abused us, failed to accept us, criticized us, judged us, betrayed us, and so on... Other times we feel shame because of our own sin.

When we sin, we may feel convicted. This is not shame. Conviction calls us to repentance. Shame shouts that we are permanently unacceptable to God, so there's no point in repenting. This is a LIE. see Romans 8:1.

Take an inventory today.
1) Do I have any patterns of behavior that I am trying to keep secret?
2) Do I have any broken or strained relationships?
3) Have I believed any lies that are holding me back from all that God has for me?

Ask yourself these questions, cry out to God, take initiative, and pray:
     Lord, I have asked myself these questions, but even these are not enough to make me desperate for You. Please, God, create in me a holy desperation for You. Show me the specific areas that I need to change in order to glorify you.  In Jesus' Name, Amen
For the Harvest,
Cathie