Nailed!--Part 2

So now that I had come to the conclusion that I was more worried about MY reputation instead of God's. What was I to do? I figured that I just needed to trust the Lord that He would help me through my fear and to thank Him for this trial.

BUT...I only had part of the solution.

On Wednesday evening at church our pastor talked about intimacy, control, and sin.

He gave the following definition of true intimacy, "The ability to real (genuine) with another person." How can I be real with someone if I'm holding back because I'm afraid of hurt?

Then he led us through this passage in Philippians 4:4-7
Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

We are to rejoice always! When things are tough and when things are easy. When we are being blessed and being cursed. When we are at peace with everyone, and when we are in conflict.

When we are fretting, we are in sin! We are not trusting God and taking matters into our own hands. And here was where I was nailed! I needed to recognize that this was not just an area of weakness, but also of SIN!

I was in sin! I was trying to control the outcome of my conflict. It was more important to me to have everyone like me (i.e. not reject me) and so my worry came from putting man's opinion over God's. And trying to do everything right so that the results would be favorable.

But what I must learn is that it is more important to be obedient to the Lord than to be anxious about man, conflict and the results.

As long as I am being kind, speaking the truth in love and humble, then when He asks me to speak up in a situation I need to be obedient and trust in Him for the results whether they are favorable or not!

Help me, dear Lord! I want to follow You! So when these overwhelming feelings of fear come, help me to cast my cares upon You, to pray and be thankful and to trust You more! And then, let me experience Your peace that surpasses all understanding! And when I'm fretting, help me to repent of that sin and to seek You all the more!

To God be the glory! (Even in conflict!)