Listen friends. I see many personal delusions at work these days. I recognize it because I, too, have been there.

 

Whereby many play the victim while instigating hidden behaviors unbecoming of a pure bride. Then when God decides to deal with it, we point fingers elsewhere instead of to our own hearts.

 

I often say sometimes it’s not God and it’s not the devil.

 

It’s just ME.

 

My own stinkin’ thinkin’ is pulling at my heart knowing I have misbehaved. It is that I’m somehow expecting others to put up with it when in all honesty their job is to call out my sin and shadiness.

 

Humility bows and crushes the pride that refuses to acknowledge my part in things. Lately, God has been highlighting “miseries” in people.

 

Misery: a circumstance, thing, or place that causes suffering or discomfort

 

Repentance is required to mend fences with God and with others. He doesn’t bypass sinister spots in my own heart. He glares at it and wishes to change it. Yet, He won’t force you into the shift.

 

Sometimes we are causing our own miseries.

 

I remember a lot of years ago I couldn’t seem to get things done to prepare what God had given me to do. So I made adjustments so that I could fulfill the command. Some were offended. Yet, God was pleased because it was my responsibility and there had become a hindrance in the Spirit to me that needed to be removed.

 

I had to break off all people-pleasing and take back my authority. For it would be me held responsible in the end, not others.

 

I recognized that I had not been leading, but following. I was following the heart desires of others. I was pulled into directions not given me by God. I had fallen prey to man.

 

After I repented God directed me on how to move forward. It took great courage.

 

Those who wanted things from me that God didn’t ask me to give fell away when I stopped giving haphazardly.

 

When I began to put up strong boundaries to guard the work entrusted to me some unfriended me.

 

Yet, God made me His friend as I kept walking in obedience to Him alone.

 

You see, it wasn’t God, It wasn’t the devil. It was just plain ole’ me.

 

I always had the power to change the narrative, I just didn’t have the courage to face myself. I, in essence, was the problem.

 

I had a mindset that everyone would love me as I followed Christ but it was just the opposite. Some loved me and others would hate me.

 

Don’t worry it’s all good now, there are no more pity parties here. I’ve made my choice. Jesus is my faithful friend and enemy to my foes.

 

He had to purge me of my own heart sins and bents that didn’t allow Him to move fully in me.

 

He will have to do the same for you.

 

Sometimes we must face ourselves…see fully that we, indeed, are the problem and that our own behaviors need to be changed.

 

Sometimes God is strengthening us to do what is necessary regardless of the fall-out. Usually there is a cost to obedience.

 

When you can begin to deal with “your own self” you’ll find that you’re truly maturing in Christ Jesus.

 

So, let’s get a little real today.

 

Some of us need to turn that finger pointing to the one in the mirror so that God who has begun a good work in us can actually fulfill it.