I’d like to share a thought I believe the Lord gave me regarding the ongoing struggles that so many Christians have with temptation and fall that inevitably occurs. The cycle that takes place always ends up with shame, guilt and feelings of unworthiness. A loss of value and unworthiness ensues, and we find ourselves trapped in that vicious cycle.
I find, in the past, that I lost sight of the power of God’s grace. I can better illustrate this by a story. An adult son visited his parents’ home for a two week stay. He was very close to them but had been living in another country for some time. During the time he was with them he wanted to do some things in the house and felt entitled to do whatever he did when he use to live with them. His father told him he would rather him not do some of the things he was doing, and the son felt rejected and upset. What he didn’t realize is that he had a lack of respect for his parents and their home. They had their own boundaries and wanted them upheld. The question is, what is true respect? Does respect show honor and courtesy?
Sometimes entitlement loses sight of respect. Entitlement takes on a lack of honor if its taken away or boundaries are set. I found myself asking, “Do I respect my Father (Jesus, The Holy Spirit)? Have I become ‘convenient’ in how I honor Them? Have a lost humbleness and have become arrogant in entitlement?”
God is gracious to the humble (James 4:6 ; James 4:10), “God help me to never lose sight of Your simple facts and principals.”