Matthew 7:7 "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened for you.
Sometimes all we need to seek is God Himself. Though we pride ourselves to think we know what is best for us, I believe that the Lord allows all sorts of situations and circumstances to be thrown into the mix just so we would remember where we should place our focus on.
I believe that the act of seeking the Lord is one that ought to be very regular for us as Christians. Just as constant communication is vital for a regular relationship, so prayer and reading the Word should be habitual. We cannot say that we are ready for what the world brings us if we do not keep our lines to the Lord open.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Always rejoice, constantly pray, in everything give thanks. For this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
It is in Christ's Will for us to keep talking, communing with Him. We can be sure that He always listens and answers according o His purpose.
Right now is about a good time for me to recall what I learned from Charles Stanley's podcast on my down to Manila:
Everyone is subject to temptation. Temptation itself is not sin, but how we address it or how we react to it can be considered sin. When we are tempted we should always stop to look at the big picture, considering all the possible consequences to the action we are tempted to do. If we take time in doing this we will see that there are actually more consequences than we can imagine. As we contemplate on this we should also seek a means of getting what we are tempted to get within our God-given limits. We should remember that with what we are tempted to have, God has better.
This constant communication with the Lord is definitely one big aid against the temptations we face. For my part, every now and then a thought provoking sin enters my head, and there are times that I have trouble shaking it off simply because I welcome the thought with my own imagination. If we consistently seek the Lord as we should, we remain in His holy presence and it becomes easier for us to resist responding to temptation with sin.
There are some temptations that are more subtle yet just as damaging. For instance, the temptation to be selfish demands that you act and speak for yourself without any consideration or empathy, when you don't get your own way.
Let me attempt to look at the big picture. If I do act selfishly obviously I would come out as selfish and immature, and even if I had a point it simply would not come out the way I want it to be. I would hurt anyone around me and I would add extra pressure to myself because I did not choose a more diplomatic way to communicate my point. Acting on emotion without the benefit of intellect is truly something damaging to all parties.
How can I get what I want without going beyond the limits God has set for me? The first thing that comes into mind right now is to seek counsel. Apparently I would need speak to my brothers for this. I have talked to Pastor Poppo as I previously mentioned and I believe that seeking the will of the Lord is definitely vital at this point. Perhaps it's time for me to just seek the Lord through the Word.