Gina Sewell is a mom and grandma who lives in the Dallas, Texas area, where she enjoys cooking and spending time with her family. She loves to write about Jesus and encourage others. Gina shares her journey on her website: http://www.ginabartonsewell.wordpress.com
Spiritual Guidance By Gina Sewell
I love opening my Bible in the mornings and receiving a Word from the Lord. It tends to make us feel joyous and loved and helps to guide us through our day. But what about when that message is one of correction that gives us a deep sense of conviction? In that case, we may feel differently. This morning, during my time with Jesus, I opened my Bible and got an immediate Word. It felt a bit sharp throughout my being because even though I felt I had good intentions; I was doing something very wrong. “Do not say to your neighbor, ‘Come back tomorrow and I’ll give it to you,’ when you already have it with you.” (Proverbs 3:28 NIV) How many times has a friend come to you asking to borrow twenty dollars or fifty dollars and, even though you had the money at that moment, you told them you wouldn’t have the money until your payday. Why? Was it because it was more convenient for us to make him wait? Or was it because we were secretly hoping they would get the money elsewhere before then so that we didn’t have to let go of the money? While we tell ourselves if it had been for something super important, we surely would have loaned it to them, right? 20 | M AG A Z I N E N A M E PAGE 3 20
But who are we to try to differentiate what is important versus what can be postponed? Isn’t helping God’s people what we are called to do? God doesn’t give us a list of circumstances in which we are required to offer assistance. Yes, there are times when it is acceptable to say no, but all you need to do is listen to your Spirit, for it will quickly tell you what you should do in any situation. “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIV) “But when he, the Spirit of Truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own, He will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.” (John 16:13 NIV) Everyone loves verses like, “ask and ye shall receive…”, but how much more should we love verses of correction, knowing full well, that we are being led by the Spirit.
