CWW WEEK 25 - Day 3 - Come And Reason
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CWW WEEK 25 DAY 3 COME AND REASON
3. Luke 6:27-28 (NIV)
“But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to
those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who
mistreat you.”
Our natural human response when attacked by others is to either
run and hide or to come out all guns blazing.
Both can be and usually are, not conducive to the best outcomes.
Running and hiding often enables bad behaviour to continue and
coming out all guns blazing often leads to innocent people being
caught in the crossfire.
I love the idea that the central theme of creation was always meant
to be about conversation and not conflict. Those plans for our
future were dashed when the serpent planted a seed in the first
couple in the Garden of Eden.
What many struggle to come to terms with is that God’s plan,
being based on love that requires freedom to choose, was in the
hands of the first humans.
Beguiled by the charisma of the devil at the tree of the knowledge
of good and evil, two narratives collided and our first couple chose
against a life of contentment and fell for the trap that they too could
be as God. Conversation then gave way to conflict.
Why is it that, as humans, we are always attracted to things we are
told to avoid?
I have learned many lessons in the past few years and I have to say
that these have served me well.
One of these is based on something that Dr Tim Jennings speaks
of in his many books. One such example is his saying that “A lie
believed breaks the circle of love and trust.”
How true is that? I mean think about it.
During our series of Community of Unity Tours around Australia, I
was privileged to baptise three hundred people. It was never reallyCWW WEEK 25 DAY 3 COME AND REASON
promoted but word soon got around as thousands begin to
contemplate a relationship with God. I have baptised folk in some
very harsh locations in freezing water in the middle of winter and
invariably entering the water to baptise a few who’s numbers grew
as more people wanted to come to Jesus having listened to the
Bible study I always give before entering the water.
I must have been offending satan because someone planted a
seed on social media that I was charging people three hundred
dollars per baptism.
This blatant lie spread like wild fire with the amount growing from
three hundred to thirteen hundred dollars.
No matter how many people who countered this narrative on the
social media platforms; people who I baptised, these people were
called liars and no amount of convincing gained traction.
I decided to approach one of the purveyors of this now urban myth
to ask them why they would be spreading this lie?
She came back with a convincing story that I had done this and
she knew it for a fact because someone witnessed it when I
baptised in a certain town.
I managed to convince her that we did not baptise anyone in that
town at all. Seeing that maybe she got it wrong she concluded by
saying, “yeah ok but you put pressure on people to donate
though.”
She would not let go of this lie she believed that broke the circle of
love and trust.
In the to and fro that followed I asked her to contemplate that what
she was spreading was a lie and if there was the slightest chance it
was not true then think about how damaging that would be not
only to me but others who may wish to be baptised and the
damage this was doing to herself.
There is no doubt that her conscience is being damaged and her
character development retarded by this lie which destroys a
narrative that would bring hope to others.CWW WEEK 25 DAY 3 COME AND REASON
I told her that I cared for her well being and that I was going to pray
for her.
If conflict is an un exploded bomb then I have seen that
conversation in reason is the best mechanism to disarm it before it
goes off. There is no doubt that many wars have been averted by
the use of good diplomacy. And what is diplomacy? It’s
conversation to avoid conflict. It’s an opportunity to come and
reason.
Those who mistreat us are behaving from a pain that we know
nothing about. We may have unwittingly been the cause of unmet
expectations in their lives. It may be that we have what they seem
to lack.
We tend to see them as bad people while others who interact with
them may have the opposite opinion because they have not
triggered them.
Remember that hurt people, hurt people and Jesus wants us to
play our part in healing the hurt. Why? Because God never wastes
a hurt and He has a plan for resolution and ultimately salvation.
And remember that those who hurt us are His children too and He
wants to redeem them also.
QUESTIONS.
1. Is there someone in your life now who you need to invite to
come and reason?
2. If you know the truth and God knows the truth then what is to
be gained with conflict?
3. Can you contemplate the freedom that comes with
understanding todays scripture?
Prayer.
Dear Lord, Papa God.CWW WEEK 25 DAY 3 COME AND REASON
Thank you Lord for showing me just how living in the fruits of the
Spirit can bring contentment and serenity into my life in spite of the
anger and false perceptions of others. Help me to come and
reason with my adversaries and stand in Your divine strength Papa
as I face those who seek to harm me. I pray also that with your
discernment I will know when the best option is to walk away and
leave them to You Lord.
For this is my prayer in the precious name of Jesus.
Amen.
Have a great day today with Jesus.
Graham Hood.
