Have you ever been around a small child who demands his own way? I have.
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Working in a public school, has trained well my ears to hear the demanding tone of voice of a little child. My eyes have been well-trained to the body language spoken by these UN-trained little ones, as well. Whining, nagging, and demands... all uttered by a 4 or 5-year-old ... are not endearing.
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Does a little dictator delight a teacher? NO. Furthermore, most teachers I know refuse to reward a little dictator with anything close to his request.
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. . . . . .
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Is there
a mirror
handy?
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Now, this blog is not about child-rearing.
It is about
dealing with the little dictator within us.
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When we start demanding from The LORD what we MUST have in order to be happy, we are as endearing as the little spoiled dictators in the public schools.
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Nagging, whining, pouting, being "unhappy" in our inner man is equivalent to those children who use these tactics to manipulate their poor parents, long-suffering grand-parents, and alas, thread-bare teachers.
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Yes we DO make our requests and supplications known unto The LORD, with Thanksgiving. But we entrust the disposition of our requests totally in HIS+ capable Hands. Furthermore, we learn to be humble as we yield to HIS+ Will in the matter at hand and await HIS+ good pleasure.
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We learn to bind our minds to the Mind of CHRIST+. We learn to bind our wills to the Will of CHRIST+. We accept HIS+ Timetable as our timetable.
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If we do these things when the insistence, when the clamorings, when the demands arise in our inner man, then our Self-man will learn submission as CHRIST did when HE+ was in human form... by the things which HE+ suffered.
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Even though we are not suffering like HE+ did on the cross, we will wrestle with being unhappy for a season when we don't get our way.
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And, some of our insistant requests may seem "good" : our desire for ministry, for more provision, for a Godly-mate, for a child, or for a wayward family member to come to CHRIST+ .
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What really matters is that we have put something else in our hearts that we want BESIDES CHRIST JESUS .
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The key to being happy
in CHRIST JESUS
is to let HIM+ be LORD
of our desires.
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. . . . .
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HE+ has saved us
from our sins;
now let HIM+
save us
from our selves.
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In the name of
THE FATHER,
Who created thee;
And HIS Beloved SON+
JESUS CHRIST+,
Who+ saves thee;
And the Blessed
HOLY SPIRIT,
Who sanctifies thee.
Amen.
