"Understood"

Having the understanding to know how we are to react to God's love in our offerings, service, or even our daily lives, requires a heart that is void of pride; something which we are all easily filled with. Maybe you are thinking, That's not me; I don't have pride in my heart! Well, good for you, I guess? But you must know something: pride is something which can appear out of nowhere; it is something which can take hold of you, and once you are gripped by it, it has it's talons in you. Okay; maybe you cannot see the thread yet, and the sinister way that the enemy works to pull the church apart, from the inside out. Always; and I mean always; anytime we are disputing with a brother or sister we must stop and ask God to change our heart; no matter what you might think about who is right and who is wrong, you must ask God to change your heart. I think you don't see the reasoning in that, do you? But the reason we are to ask for ourselves and not the other person is because of pride; we must be willing to be shaped by God, and pride is one thing which always gets in the way of God making us into His perfect image. However, our common tendency is to pray, Lord, change that person's heart so that they can see things the way that I see them; so that we can get along together. Amen. Have you ever prayed like that? And if you did, did it work? We must get one thing perfectly understood, the enemy is crafty, and uses our stubbornness to his advantage. Once we can realize this, and remember it during a time when it is being utilized, then we can begin to gain some ground back in the church; but until we do, we will continue to tear each other apart. Maybe you don't think it is all that bad, and I am making a big deal out of a few squabbles amongst the body? No, it is very real!!! The enemy has won on several occasions, and I have witnessed it myself within my own church body; time and time again, where the lives that have been altered, and some have even fallen from grace; all because of pride: too proud to be humble; too proud to give in; too proud to accept God's hand of instruction; too proud to love!!! John had seen it also, which was why he was so focused upon writing about it; over and over, he stresses the need to love one another, and to resist the trap of the enemy; because the enemy uses the disagreements that we have against each other for his advantage, by that wedge called pride being put between us and our understanding... "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another." (1 John 4:10 & 11)