1 corinthians chapter 14:20
Brothers and sisters, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults
The way we think always affects our behavior, but we are not always aware of these consequences. We tend to believe that our good moral upbringing will help us to live good and peaceful lives, but our human nature does not want this. Pleasure is always the main motivation of our thoughts and actions.
It is this pursuit of pleasure that can destroy your life. The objects of your desire will never completely satisfy your soul, it is a deception from the devil. What you focus all your heart and mind upon becomes your idol and your god.
Sports, celebrities and entertainment, alcohol, drugs, casual sex and all types of sexual lifestyles, deceit and hatred, greed and pride, racism and political manipulations, these types of behaviors are satisfying to our human flesh. All of these things can become the main focus of our lives, these are some of the idols of mankind’s destruction.
God is not impressed with people who say that they are good and that their hearts are pure. He knows our thoughts, and our thoughts influence our actions. He is looking for the people who are not afraid to admit that they are not perfect and that they need God in their lives. You can fool many people with your words and actions, but the Lord knows your heart…
This is why the Lord urges His people to read His word and to pray and worship in His presence. The Holy Spirit lives within our hearts, and He guides us with His love and His gentleness of Spirit. It is the love of God that transforms our hearts and minds so that we desire to live according to His standards and not our own.
We will always have to deal with our human nature, but we need to rely upon the power of the Holy Spirit to overcome our sinful desires. Yes, we may want to do something that we know is not right, but we have the power of the Lord Jesus in our hearts. We can say no, and focus upon the love of Jesus Christ. This is a daily surrender to God and His word, we cannot live the life that God has for us if we are not willing to let go of our own desires and give those desires to Him for safekeeping. He can replace these desires with love, peace, joy, and everlasting satisfaction…
So the word is, live innocently before God, but understand how the world works so that you may be able to function with a clear conscience. When you see something that seems right on the surface but makes you unsettled in your heart, ask the Lord for more guidance before you make your final decision. If someone asks you to do something that you know is wrong, just say no but do not condemn their actions. If you can, give them advice, but never criticize someone because they are blind to what is ruling their lives. Pray for them so that they may see the truth in the end.
Jesus Christ is the only one who has the right to judge our thoughts and actions. He is the only who has ever lived a perfect and righteous life. We do not know everything that motivates someone else in their actions; we need to look at our own lives first to see what motivated our actions before we can understand what motivates anyone else.
If we can be honest with ourselves about our own doubts and weaknesses, then we can be honest about giving advice to other people. The Lord wants us to lead with love in our hearts and not from a place of negativity and criticism.
Know Yourself First Before You Can Understand What Motivates Other People - Ask The Lord First What You Should Say Before You Give Advice To A Friend…
